It Started So Innocently

Thursday night Steve and I were watching television. Huell Howser was on PBS and for you non-Californians, Huell Howser tours the state and visits differerent sites and cities throughout the state. Thursday night just happened to be on Julian which is about forty-five minutes from us. Julian is famous for their apple pies, gold mining and quaint little town.

So on Friday Steve thought it sounded like a good idea to take a drive to get some pies and drive through the fire that just went through our area. We did find out the fire was about two miles from us on our road.

We loaded the girls and Joel into the "big" van. (That's what we call the BMW.) (The BMW is the Big Mama Wagon.) :-) Two of the boys were at Jake's and the other kids didn't want to go. Joel didn't want to go either, but I was mean mommy and I made him. He was miserable and sobbing hysterically because he didn't get to go to Jake's. I thought a drive might distract him. Oh no.....that boy cried the whole forty-five or so minutes it took to get there.

We arrived at the pie shop, but we actually didn't go all the way into Julian, we stopped at the Julian Pie Co. in Santa Ysabel next to Dudley's Bakery. We bought two pies and other goodies. Our yummy pies were Apple Mountain Berry and Berry Apple or something like that. I have no idea what the difference is, but apparently there is one. They both have crumb topping, but one was frozen so we can enjoy it later this week.

We headed over to the bakery with just minutes to spare and Joel finally found treats worthy of his palate. He found a nice big cinnamon roll that he wanted to do battle with. Now Joel was completely happy on our way home and even burst out in loud six year old singing along the way.

Adah on the other hand was tired of sitting in her car seat and bucked the system. She had to protest and cry the whole way home, but we didn't go straight home. Oh no.....we had to go pick up the boys that were at Jake's. The crying persisted and we knew she was not happy with us in any way, shape or form, but what are ya' gonna do. A girl has to stay in her car seat. (Mom's received a ticket for that before, like, um......twenty-two years or so ago.) We drive through Del Taco and I thought maybe the quesadilla would appease her. Nope! Didn't want it. Fry? Maybe.....not too many though. Oh! John's Dr. Pepper, that will do the trick. I feed her soda through the straw knowing that at least she is not screaming anymore. We drive along with a happiness not known for the last two hours..........then it hits. She vomits, not once! but twice!

Great.......now her car seat needs to be washed and we have an 8:00am soccer game. Steve takes care of the laundry part and dissambling the car seat while I bathe the little monster. Yes, she is a monster at this point. A cute one though!

All is well, the pad is in the wash, Adah is bathed and happy. We are blissfull. I tell someone to bring me Anna's TB meds. I have to force feed her this and she has never thrown up on me..........until last night. All down the back of me, on the love seat in my room and all over her. I start barking orders, yes, my head was probably spinning around too.....Sarah changed Anna, Steve took care of the couch and I took care of me. The meds went into her bottle and that is how she will get it from now on. We just have to be very diligent and make sure she takes all of it.

Finally we're all cleaned up and they go down for bed. Until.................Adah starts screaming at the top of her lungs. The scream that says, "You can leave me in here as long as you want, but I'm still going to scream and you won't be able to rest until you come in here and see what I want." So Steve does. He brings her in......."She pooped" he tells me. Now I have to change a poopy diaper. (Yes, we signed up for this voluntarily.) :-) I get her all changed and then .....................she spits up on me AGAIN! This is not as much as the earlier vomit, but I still have to change my clothing. :-( I settle her down and I send her downstairs to rock with Sarah so her tummy can settle instead of sending her back to bed.

Finally all the little ones were in bed and all was well until 11:30pm when Joel decided for whatever reason he was climbing into my bed, on my side, with me. I had the privilege of snuggling up with my little boy who in not too many years away wouldn't think of climbing into bed with his mommy.

So for now I cherish all of this, the vomiting, the snuggling, the poopy diapers, the crying; knowing that this too shall pass and I'll wish that I had this busy, crazy life all over again.