going to the dentist...

*Disclaimer: I love my children,dearly.They are each a blessing from the Lord,and we are SO thankful for them.Yes they are close together,but we would not have it any other way!:)*

Many people tell me "you have your hands full".As though that should be a news flash to me,or a new revelation.Well,today,I wanted to just inform people,before they informed me,that

"Yes,I have my hands full,and today,I feel like it!"

I took three of our four to the dentist today,by myself. Sweet hubby was planning to tag along,but due to the long holiday weekend,could not.Thankfully my sweet mom came over and stayed with Riley,good thing,no great thing!

As we were preparing to leave the house,the following happened.

I woke up to Riley covered in poo. I cleaned him up,fed him and the other many small children.

I go get the kids clothes,to get them dressed,while doing so,Clara is opening all the packages of wipes in Riley's room,unannounced to me.And proceeds to take all the stickers off of the tops of them (they are the re-fill able packages) and places them all over the walls in the house.I discover this when I go to get the wipes for Riley,and find them all open,thankfully not dried out yet.Clara shows me where she has put all the covers for the wipes,and helps me place them back on the many refill packages.While doing this Riley goes into the bathroom (remember he was all cleaned) and takes his little hands and decides to take a bath in the toilet.The seat was up because Jackson had just gone potty.

Riley gets bathed again.

While I am bathing Riley I hear Elliott in the kitchen.

not.good.

He has dumped out an entire box of corn flakes on the floor.

And says very loudly "uh oh,no come in here mommy"!

I proceed to get Riley out of the bath,get him dressed and clean up the mess in the kitchen,when out of the corner of my eye,I see Clara giving Riley "puffs" to eat (baby food puffs are Riley's favorite snack)

I think "oh she is sweet to keep him entertained",then I hear Clara squeal "Riley NO".He dumped a fresh container of puffs all over my freshly vacuumed living room rug.By this time,I thought about crying,but decided laughter is better medicine.As I am cleaning Riley up,with Puffs stuck all over him,because he was still damp from his bath,I remember that I had scheduled a meeting with Elliott's service coordinator this afternoon.

At the same time as their dentist appointment.

Clearly I was not thinking when I did that.

So,I rush downstairs to call her and re-schedule.While I am calling,I hear the back door open.(Jackson was throwing something away in our trash can that we have to keep on the back porch because of the ants that seem to not go away if the trash is inside)

Riley apparently followed Jackson and was now outside,I rush to grab him,and when I do the window falls out of our back door,thankfully it's plexy glass,and no one was underfoot,as I was holding Riley.

I put the plexy glass on the back porch,when I realize that my arm is wet,and smells.Riley has blown his diaper out.I change him again.

By this time my mom should be arriving any minute,and my house is a WRECK!

I attempt to clean up the kitchen,just a tad as so it won't look like a cyclone blew through the house.

While I am doing this Jackson and Clara get into a huge argument about what toys they can take to the dentist.We have a chat about how we are not taking any toys to the dentist,when I hear *CRASH*...Riley is upstairs throwing the books off the book shelf,and anything else that was on the landing of the stairs.Preventing me from being able to get up the stairs to fetch him.I enlist Jackson and Clara to help me,and I get Riley,leave the mess on the stairs.Realize he has messed in his pants again,when I see my mom pull into the drive way to watch Riley while we ....GO TO THE DENTIST!

My mom offers to change Riley.Love you Mom!

I quickly get the kids shoes on,fix their hair,and then tell them time to go when Jackson announces "We did not brush our teeth!"...I had gotten their toothbrushes out after breakfast,and put toothpaste on them.Now they were no where to be found. Then I look in the toilet,"oh,Riley put them in here" says Clara.Thankfully I had a package of new toothbrushes,so I opened that,brushed their teeth,and we were off!

They all did great at the dentist.No cavities! When they were done their dentist called me back.My first thought was "oh great,the kids told him that their toothbrushes were put in the toilet,and mommy made them use them" You know how kids love to make up tales!

But,no,come to find out,he just wanted to tell me "your children are angels,they did so well,and were so kind and respectful! None of them cried,and for Elliott being so young,I must say I was shocked at how well he did! You have your hands full Mrs.Hartman,but you do a lovely job with them"....to which I sat,and smiled,okay,so I could not stop laughing! I just told him if he had been a fly on the wall seeing how our morning was,he would probably be shocked! (oh and he told us we need to get Elliott to stop sucking his thumb,and ideas on how to make that happen,let me know!)

After the dentist I ran by the medicaid office to drop off some papers,the entire time I was praying. "Lord,please don't let their be a line of people waiting"...God heard my prayers!!! There was no line! But,before entering,I had all three kids in the car and told them "Don't touch anything,hold mommies hand,and don't let go,be quiet and sweet,stay right with mommy,cause there are scary people here"...BIG MISTAKE! See,the medicaid office is with everything else food stamps,temporary assistance,parole reporting office,etc.It's a scary place,and I have never taken the kids there before,because there are all kinds of people there.Usually people with tracking devices because they have broken laws...you get the idea.

So we walk into the office,and the kids are totally quiet,there is no line,and we are immediately ushered into an open window,I sit down and Jackson says "Are those the Scary people?"

(no he does not know how to whisper).

I hand the lady the paperwork I have to drop off,and get the heck outta there!

We come home,and my wonderful mother has cleaned my kitchen for me (she SO did not have to clean the horrible mess that was my kitchen!).She also had cookies for the kids.The kids ate,and then I went to put Riley down for his nap.(make bottle,change diaper,etc)

When Clara comes to find me,saying "ELLIOTT HAS THE SINK FULL OF WATER AND ITS EVERYWHERE". Elliott decided he needed to brush his teeth after his lunch, and stopped up the sink,and then let the water,run,and run,and run,and run.Yes,there was water coming out from under the door when I entered.and everything on the counter was wet,everything on the floor was wet,and Elliott was soaked.

I just finished cleaning that up,it is 4:30,and I have the little boys down for naps.

And,I think I will be laying down myself,you know,before I realize that I have my hands full. ;)