Seven kids under the age of 5.
Yeah, sometimes 'chaos' is not a strong enough word!! I'm not sure 'mayhem' works any better though.
Total and complete chaos? Too long.
I finally got the kids in bed at about 10 last night. I started much earlier than that. But to get 5 kids changed, teeth brushed, into PJ's, into bed, and most importantly, QUIET... well, that's an entire day's worth of exercise right there. Seriously. Add bathtime for 5 kids and you've got a complete workout, stretching, aerobics, weight training, and endurance...
We skipped bathtime last night :-/ Not that the kids didn't need a bath... Mama was just *not* up for it.
I picked the boys up last night and their mom asked me if I knew what the bumps on Holden's head were. The bumps I had seen were obviously mosquito bites... Rayce, Holden, and Liliya all have terrible reactions to mosquito bites, they swell up and look like Klingon's when they get bit, no kidding. She said she thought he may have bumped his head behind his ear because he had a bump there as well. So, naturally, when we got home, I checked him out.
Ummmm.... NOT from a bump on the head. The kid has a swollen lymph node the size of a lima bean behind his ear. The lymph nodes under his ear on his neck on that same side are swollen also... not the typical nobby little lumps but more of a generalized swelling, firmness, I don't know how to describe it. And then there is another node at the base of his skull on the opposite side of his head that is swollen also. UGH!!!
Now, I have no rights to take Holden to the doctor. We have all the right forms filled out for Dante, I can have Dante treated with no problem. But we never got around to it with Holden, he hasn't had as many appointments and I'm rather scatterbrained, anymore. Not to mention, I can't take 7 kids to the doctor. Their mom has no car, and I can't fit her and all these kids in my van to drop them off at the doctors. Hopefully she'll take him to the walk in tomorrow. There's not much I can do.
At least they don't seem to be bothering him, he says they don't hurt. But lymph nodes are nothing to mess with :o(
Anyway, the kids were up at about 8 this morning. I got them all something to eat and drink and then we all sat around for a while. Lazy, gray morning, for sure. I finally decided at 10 to get them dressed, which is an undertaking all in itself. Rayce is the only one who can dress himself. But even that takes some serious cajooling. If that's how you spell cajooling :o) Took 40 minutes to get everyone dressed, diapers changed, pull ups on, blah blah blah. Then I shoved them out the back door, and here I am, inside the back door, with the back door open so I can make sure the squabbles don't get too serious.
"MAMA, cdsjkalkjcnsdmaklswdfriugbnjklvcxzNBv MAMA" (Liliya)
"NO, that's MINE" (Rayce)
"Give it BACK" (Dante)
"Mama, Jonny HIT ME" (Charlize)
"WHAAAAAAAA (screaming like a tortured piglet)" (Jeremiah)
Mama, Rayce turned the water on!" (Holden)
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh muahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh (drooooool)" (Jonny)
Ugh ugh ugh!!! Yes, we finally have a hose in the backyard. To water our fresh grass seed that probably won't survive long enough to grow much, and to fill the kiddie pool and run the sprinkler. Which is nice. Except for the fact that the kids can NOT keep their hands off it!! Rayce especially, is constantly turning the water on. And even when I hear it immediately and turn it right back off, it still creates mud in the backyard. Mud is not my friend, not when I have 6 kids to clean up after playtime. BAD MUD!!! EVIL MUD!!!!!
Distracted by snack time... 20 minutes later...
Apple fries and goldfish crackers, our favorite snack :o)
Anyway, enough for now. I've got a lot to get done today in between breaking up fights and changing diapers and potty training...
I'm exhuasted, already.
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