Just roll with it

Days like today remind me why I don't even try going out.

Today I thought I'd  bend the schedule and have a little outing. Nothing too fabulously exciting, just running some errands to get out of the house.

My plan was to load up all the children, go to Target to grab a few grocery staples and some craft supplies, then get some lunch at Sonic. We'd wrap the trip up with a visit to the car wash place to vacuum out the suburban and run it through a wash. It sounded like a good plan: I'd only have to get the kids out once, they could eat grilled cheeses while I cleared out the trash and toys, and by the time they were done eating I could do the vacuuming, run through the washer and be done.

Wrong.

On the way to Target the kids are already way fussy and crying that they're hungry. The last time we went in was fairly successful and I'd been wondering if it was just a glorious beam of light for that one moment in time... or if I am, in fact, super mom. A shrill scream from the backseat snapped me back to reality and knew I shouldn't push my luck at Target. So, change of plans. We headed to Sonic first. They can eat in the car, then we'll do Target (maybe they'll be happier if they're full), then the car wash.

Wrong again.

I get to Sonic, order enough food for the 7 of us and realize I don't have my debit card. And I don't have the first clue where it is. So I push the button again to tell them that I need to cancel my order because I can't find my card. "Hang on" she says. Then a girl pops around the corner and in a casual, cheery voice tells me, "We've already started making your food, so we're just gonna bring it out and you can come by later to pay for it. Once you've found your card." "Oh my gosh, are you sure?!" "Yeah definitely!" So they bring out my $27 worth of food and I told them that my 6 hungry kids and I were extremely grateful and I promised to be back later. Is that not so cool?!

So then I make a phone call to Jake to help me remember when I would have used my debit card last. We decided it was Kroger.

Thankfully our Kroger has those spiffy shopping carts where the little cozy-coupe-looking-car is down in front and the back (facing me) has two seats. So Micah and Abby can sit in the car, and Mabry and Kate can sit in the top part facing me. Ashley and Emily linger on either side of the car to be sure that Micah and Abby keep their arms and legs in. And that Micah isn't pulling on peoples pant legs as we go by or anything. So long as everyone is quiet, people don't stare too much.

In we go to Kroger and no, they don't have my card either. Weeeeeeell, awesome. I'm so glad I just got my whole crew out of the car. I should have called first.

Determined to accomplish something, we go over to car wash because I have a few ones in my purse. This is a process that takes lots of strategic planning, but it is, in fact, possible. Wanna hear how? Well, you're still reading, so I'm gonna tell ya.

I took 2 trash bags with us. Ashley went around with one, it was the "keep" bag. Toys, cups, etc. Emily went around with the other gathering trash. Meanwhile I unloaded the stroller out of the back. Then one by one, I unbuckled the "triplets" and put them into the back of the suburban. When Ashley and Emily were done, they joined them. Then last I took Kate out and handed her to Ashley. Then I could take all the carseats out and line them up next to the stroller. All the kids played in the back (because to them, its like some sort of super cool fort) while I vacuumed out the entire suburban. Once they got bored I passed out baby wipes and they each "scrubbed" some seats. Then I'd put the car seats in one at a time, and its occupant in right after it. I had to make sure never to leave any doors open but the one I was at, lest a child escape. But it was also 88 degree's outside, so it helped keep the A/C inside anyway. So that whole process wasn't bad.

Imagine with me, for a second, what this looked like from the outside. A big suburban and next to it is lined up: 3 pink floral car seats, two boosters, and a beast of a stroller. The vacuum machine is howling, the back hatch is packed with children, a couple of them making strange growling/yelling noises (which were really happy noises... I don't know how to explain this to you if you don't have kids with special needs) the rest just squealing and laughing, and the mom is sweating to death- half in the car/half in the summer sun- holding a mammoth vacuum hose. And some woman still decided to approach me and give me her phone number in case I ever wanted to sell any of their car seats. Seriously lady?????

Anyway.

Because I used up $3 vacuuming, we didn't have enough left to do the car wash, but... whatever.

2 hours, 6 tired-but-full kids and 1 clean-inside suburban later, we got home. Not terribly unproductive, but ya know? Just a reminder that when things don't go as planned, you've got to roll with the punches.

Tonight my husband is taking me on a date. (With a pit stop by Sonic to pay our bill. God bless 'em.) AND apparently I need to cancel my debit card.

The moral of today's story is, juggling children and chores is not too difficult if you take your time and be strategic. And when it all falls apart anyway, just roll with it.