Yesterday...seems so far away...

I had all these witty math word problems to describe my day yesterday like - What is the probability that three randomly selected car seats will fit into the back seat of a Jeep Cherokee? One 2.5 year old and two 1 year olds are released into the front yard while one mom attempts to put a third car seat in the back seat of a Jeep Cherokee. They scatter at approximately 5m/sec in random directions. How long will it take the mom to discover the error in her plan and subsequently, how far away will the children be by the time she sets out to round them up?

I decided (in a moment of sheer lunacy) to go to Walmart with the kids yesterday. We needed a few things and I also wanted to make some meals for my sister before I went to see her last night and discovered that I was missing a few key components. I didn't think it would be all that hard to do. I didn't think hard enough!!

The first issue was the installation of the extra car seat. It would've been no problem to do if I'd put the boys down for their morning naps, but as any mom who has a two nap a day child can attest - if you avoid nap times then you have NO TIME to actually do anything. Avoiding the afternoon nap is a huge mistake since Kailin only takes one nap (please see the Night Owls and Early Birds post for details on what happens when Kailin misses her nap). Anyway - the flaw in my plan was that I could obviously not leave them all in the house while I went out to put the extra car seat in, but I also could not contain them well if we went outside. I opted for the outside option so that I could at least hear and see them. Ha!!!! About 4 minutes in, I wrangled wonder twin #2 and put him in a car seat so that I was only capable of losing track of my own kids. Ha ha ha. It was all fine and dandy until I discovered that I needed to shift the seat he was sitting in! I finally got the car seat wrestled into the Jeep and plunked the remaining two into their seats and away we went. Wonder Twin #2 immediately began his car ride with a series of guttural "ahhhhhhhhh"s. I forgot that I missed that. Wonder Twin #1 stared at Wonder Twin #2 in amazement. Kailin chattered on independently and incessantly. Somewhere along the way, both twins fell asleep. Kailin chatted. Neither twin was ecstatic about being awoken upon our arrival.

Thankfully, I'd thought about problem #2 before we left the house. There really isn't a good cart option for a pair of 1 year olds. Kailin can walk, but the boys both need a lift. When they're a bit older, then those double carts will work well, but the harnesses aren't big enough yet and the boys are two squirmy anyway. I put Twin Two in the cart and schlepped Twin One around in the baby carrier. Not optimal, but certainly workable. I noticed that I got more than a few stares with my entourage in tow!

I got most of our stuff with little protest from the gang. Kailin got a little uppity toward the end of the trip, but she did great overall and it was indeed getting on toward lunch by the time we left. I made a big game out of going on a "mission" in search of M's. Surprise, surprise we found some, so Kailin was happy once again. She dined on her M's on the way home and helped me to pass out cheerios to the boys to keep them happy.

All in all, it wasn't bad for a first outing and I would probably do it again - although I'd install the car seat the night before and I would try to find a way to avoid going during nap time. Not sure that's possible, but it was an adventure anyway!

Last night I went and had a couple of fillings (in my wisdom teeth - they ought to be smart enough to know better, don't you think?) done and then headed to the mall to pick up the kids new portraits. After that I made a run to my sister's house to see my nephew....er....her. Ha ha. He is just so stinking cute!! I got home (late) to a house full of sleeping souls and they remained that way straight through til morning!