Day One

• Children up by 7:30am. "Where's Daddy?"
• Breakfast: "I want cereal." Done. "I changed my mind, I want soup." No soup, cereal only half eaten, Goldfish demolished while I search the house for dirty laundry.
• Weekend trip recovery: laundry, clean house. Plan is to start in living room. Then the kids have an impromptu tea party in the kitchen. I was not invited. Until the Kool-Aid was spilled all over the floor. Score: Kids, 1 point.
• I'm a top/down kind of cleaner. Start at the top, all debris falls to the floor which is the last to be cleaned. It efficiently takes care of the cobwebs and crumbs on the countertops and promises a fresh floor. Score: Mom, 1 point.
• Kids playing happy. Start laundry. Start on the kitchen. Cleaned and mopped. It's beautiful. I feel at peace. Score: Mom, 1 point.
• McKenna is ready for naptime. Sweet. Not so the other two. Lunchtime for them. "I don't like that kind of cheese. I don't want a sandwich." Too bad.
• Laundry is cycling through at an even keel. Definitely wait until later to put the clean clothes away.
• Phone call. A five minute conversation with Keith. All is well. Caelan paints the bathroom with purple foaming soap. All walls must now be cleaned from the bottom to about four feet up. Score: Kids, 1 point.
• Can't clean it now. Caelan is without any remnant of clothing. Laughing, she tells me "I pottied in the floor." Fantastic. Reclothe her and clean up the puddle. Score: Kids, 1 point.
• McKenna is awake. The stench coming from her room precedes opening the door. Diaper on the floor. Poop everywhere. Shower kid and strip bed. Score: Kids, 1 point.
• Sweet. Washer ready for bedding. Score: Mom, 1 point.
• "Mom! Caelan is eating all your gum!!" Gum on face, shirt and couch. Score: Kids, 1 point.
• Clean up gum. Send Caelan to bed. Score: Mom, 1 poi...... "What are you doing??" Caelan is naked again, trying to put on a swimsuit. Not in bed, obviously.
• Time for family meeting. Explain importance of helping mom while dad is gone. See a glimpse of acceptance in Evelynn's face. Caelan laughs and goes back to bed. She stays in bed for a while, but no nap. I let her get up after about thirty minutes. Score: Mom, 1 point.
• McKenna is hungry. Fed. Cycled laundry. Sit down and take a break. Score: Mom, 1 point.
• "Mom! I need your help!!" Caelan decided to #2 in the portapotty and then dump it into the big potty. #2 EVERYWHERE. Lord, I think you hate me. Score: Kids, 2 points.
• Recovery mode: bathroom with #2, more laundry, movie time? Absolutely. WW3 over what movie to watch. Evelynn sent to bed for disrepectful behavior. Much is desired of the oldest. Not fair, but she leads the way. I was the oldest. It's a bummer. Score: Kids, 1 point.
• Pick up living room. Pillows back on couch. Oh, the butt paste. Right. Not happening today. Score: Mom, 1/2 point.
• McKenna happily playing. Caelan watching a movie. Perfect! The bedding can go back on the crib. First, have a talk with Evelynn. I reached her heart. I saw it in her eyes. She can watch the movie now. Score: Mom, 4 points.
• Clean and remake McKenna's bed. Go back downstairs. There are three go-gurt tubes squirted in the living room floor. Caelan. Another talk. Supervise her cleaning it up. Remind myself that she's two and not only that she's my precocious middle child. Score: Kids, 1 point. Mom, 1 point.
• Walk into kitchen. Are you freakin' kidding me??? Count to ten. She's two and not only that she's my precocious middle child. Lo Mein all over the kitchen floor. New Plan: Be in same room at all times or sit on her. Score: Kids, 1 point.
• In same room, she sneaks Play-Doh. Not happening. Jumps from the coffee table to the couch. Not happening. How about we color? Rips Evelynn's paper and draws more on the couch. How about we dance? Turn music on. Makes her want to jump on the couch. Falls over the pillows and hits her face on the console record player. Score: Kids, 2 points.
• Dinnertime: Soup, the Princess variety. "All right!!" but then "I don't want it."
• Evelynn tells me, "Mom, I want to be your big helper. What can I do for you?" Score: Mom, 5 points.
• I take the trash out. Caelan meets me at the door, running and yelling "Daddy's home!" Remind myself that she's two, my precocious middle child and doesn't know how to deal with daddy being gone.
• Bedtime: Bundle my babies in their blankets and listen to their prayers. "Thank you for Mama and Daddy. Keep Daddy safe. Help me to listen to Mama and be her helper." All previous Mom and Kid scores are obsolete. The good Lord is in this home. Tomorrow is a new day.