Old Friends / Bookends

I feel a little bit more like my old self again.

My good friend, whose name is also Karen, was in town and spent a full (nearly) 24 hours with us, and brought along her two kids, Gavin and Chloe. I hadn’t seen them in years so they had morphed somehow from small children into teenagers!

We had the chance to catch up between crazy toddler tantrums and naps, deciding to spend the day inside because of the rain and the multitude of children. She got to watch my kids go and I got to know her kids as the young adults they are becoming.

Karen and I whipped up an awesome dinner for all of us of Asian noodles and tofu and veggie stir fry. It rocked, if I do say so myself. Then we stayed up far too late into the night talking and squeezing in as much girlie talk as we could muster.

After a fitful night with Ethan having a multitude of bad dreams, we were up at the crack of dawn (which is sleeping in for some of us!). We pulled some clothes on and gathered Karen’s things and the whole lot of us (8!) headed out to a big breakfast. Quiche, Cinnamon French toast, and blintzes all around. And coffee. Did I mention the coffee??

After breakfast, Michael took our kids home in one van while I took Karen and crew to the airport. The kids were flying out to their dad’s in Wisconsin and Karen was heading to Rhode Island an hour later. We had many last minute hugs and photos in the white zone (which is for loading and unloading of passengers only!) and then they were off!

Since Michael is working all day Sunday, I took the free time to get some much needed shopping done… plastic Christmas tree decorations so the balls won’t shatter when Luka pulls the tree down while climbing it, and also some Hanukkah candles. I also had to pick up some stocking stuffers (to help Santa out, being so busy as he is this time of year). Bought some small toys, with lots of plasticky goodness (Now with more lead!!).

Then it was home and unpacking all the odds and ends, cleaning up a bit before the “witching hour” as Karen so aptly described the time between about 5 and 6pm when your kids just decide to go insane en masse.

She tells us we are not alone.

And it certainly doesn’t help when all three of them have diarrhea. Forgive the potty talk but we have been going through diapers and Spiderman Undies like Spinal Tap goes through drummers.

***later***

No sooner did I finish writing the above when I heard the tell-tale sound of the dreaded crying/coughing coming from the twins’ bedroom. Ethan woke up with that familiar whimpering and I sprinted to his dark bedside. I put one hand on his back, and the other smooshed down into his pillow covered in that sour-cottage-cheese that all mothers and fathers know so well.

So we spent the last half hour cleaning carpets (yes, more vomit came on the way to the bathroom) and cribs and walls and floors. One blessing of babies wanting their mommies so much is that while I did have to strip the disgusting clothes off of him, I got the baby-cuddles, fresh diapering and the new pajamas, while Michael dealt with the bulk of the sick mush. But then he deals with bodily fluids on a daily basis and just the smell alone makes me want to add to the mess.

This lovely turn of events bookends nicely with Luka’s projectile performance at dinner tonight (so glad this did not happen in front of guests!!).

Hmmm… and add that to Noah’s tantrum because no one would carry him to the bathroom to wash his hands before dinner… leading to a definite lack of eating said dinner.

How long does one witching hour take?? I think it’s been about 5 and a half hours so far…

…and now I sit typing again, this time to the beat of the washing machine, which has been getting more use lately at night than mid-day.

***

Time it was and what a time it was,

it was...
A time of innocence -- a time of confidences.
Long ago... it must be... I have a photograph.
Preserve your memories...

they're all that's left you.

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