I Am Mother.

Today I woke to a bath of barf that soaked my sheets, courtesy of my 4 month old baby.
Dosed him, fed him.
Cleaned up, 6 year old sets off the house alarm.
Blitz cleaned house while getting three big kids ready for school.  We had cake for breakfast because I only got around to frosting it at midnight the night before.
Remembered as the door slammed that it's Teacher Appreciation week and they were supposed to bring some treat.  Oh well. Taking that loss today.

Changed some poops, dressed some babies, threw in a load of laundry, caught a glimpse of my body while getting dressed in clothes that don't fit right now, shuddered and swallowed some self loathing.  Did both my hair AND makeup! It doesn't make me feel skinny.

My wonderful cousin showed up to troubleshoot my half-done downstairs family room.
We started a project much too big for my life right now but that will be a happiness boost when it's done.  Provided relationship advice that, considering the source, is probably exactly the wrong counsel.
Putty.  Paint.  Toddler fending.  Infant wakes up.
Knock on the front door.  A friend from school said Jude is in the office.  Can't call because toddler locked my phone.  Scooter over to school to collect Jude who barfs on the walk home and continues to do so hourly.  Sometimes he makes it to the toilet.  Sometimes he doesn't.

Lunch!  Must feed all the babies who are hungry at the same time.  Nursing grounds me for 20 minutes while 20 month old rubs up against the newly painted nearly dry wall.  More fool me.
Ate only brown rice for lunch. Must get skinny, dontcha know.  No sugar.  No soda.  Bad day to start clean eating but too late, trudge forward.

Blessed be the toddler's nap, followed by the infant's second and hopefully lengthy nap so maybe maybe maybe I can nap too?
The infant's nap is a mirage.  He's still sick so he wakes every twenty minutes to remind me.  Poor little guy.  Needs extra love.  More nursing.

Big kids come home, 6 year old carrying a Mother's Day gift that I needed right that second.  9 year old sweeps up a baby, for a few minutes at least.
More barfing from Jude.  Philo's fever back in business.  100.9, 102.9 respectively.
Dose, dose.  Barf, barf.
Laundry.

Steal a few minutes to make progress painting so husband doesn't come home to a hideous half done wall.  He still does.  But that doesn't happen for another few hours.
Silas off to breakdancing, cheers to me for setting up a carpool.
Nursing, dinner prep, feed toddler.
Ditch barf boy at home, take others to collect carpool and do drop offs.
Baby finally sleeping.

Back home, take sleeping baby in the house in his carseat.
He treats me to a massive poop explosion.  Yes, it got in the buckle.
Extract baby.
Surgically remove onesie, clean child.

Toddler will not get out of the car.
Assign Silas to play his iPad in the car while BL plays in there.  Deliver him a corndog as payment.
No time to finish dinner before soccer practice, and why bother anyway if there are barfers?
Touch and go scavenging for dinner.  Kids elated!

Shuffle Silas off to soccer practice.
Get Mimi out the door for church activity (Mama, can I bring the cake?  Yes.  Here is the whole cake and some forks.)

Three children crying for me,  Jude barfs on the couch.  Yes, it got in the cracks.
Husband arrives and has had a very busy day.  Listen, console the best I can.  Wife game decent today. 
Some relief provided with toddler.

Hustle toddler into bed, move her temporary lodging out of the barf room.
Nurse, put not sleepy baby down.
Drive to the church to pick up Mimi. (Why is our building driving distance when we live in Utah?)
Head to store for diapers.
Get harassed for 30 minutes by Mimi at the store for whatever item she absolutely needs right now.

Return home, baby awake and shrieking.
Dose, feed, comfort for 45 minutes.
Turn to see 9 year old unloading the dishwasher.  Burst into genuine tears of gratitude.  Swell with pride that my head is still above water.  Didn't scream, didn't feel mad all day. Chaos in my world, peace in my heart.

Read to Silas.  Bribe Mimi with iPad time if she changes over the laundry.  Tuck Jude in on the bathroom floor.
All in bed.

Clean up.
Feel grateful and proud.
Document.