at least I tried.

Well, I tried again to take care of all 4 kids today. I'm still not at the top of my game. I took them outside with a new box of sidewalk chalk, which normally is a great activity and we've always had fun doing that. I chose to sit on the driveway and draw a little heart with an arrow through it. Then had to show Chloe how to do it as well now there are hundreds of shot hearts in my driveway and on the street too. (we live on a dead end at the end so it's just more room for us really) Tho I don't think Chloe fully grasped the meaning of it. She kept telling Natalie that she shot them through the heart and they were dead. I thought about explaining the concept of cupid and all but decided Chloe wouldn't take to it anymore. Aggie, my toddler who is just learning to doodle really got into it and decorated the trees and even some of the porch.  I must say I have the most colorfully trees on the block. After doodling and laughing a good bit I decided that it would be a good idea for me to sit in the chair. I Actually brought it to the driveway and sat while the kids played. Chloe decided that they should do a play, and I should watch it. But Natalie had the wonderful idea that it should be a musical. Not just any musical but the headless horseman. (Yes I let my kids watch sleepy hollow, and on that note I was called into  Natalie's school about pictures with people's heads cut off. I simply explained it away with the Disney version.) So as I sat back a listened to Natalie tell Chloe about how she would be Katrina Van Tassel but she was being Kristen Chenoweth as Katrina (yes she's a Broadway lover) the show began. I have to say for it being spur of the moment and done by a Five and Six year old it wasn't half bad. I did notice that the songs began to go from original pieces to Andrew Lloyd Weber's Cats and Les Miserables. I caught  a macavity line or two and rum tum tiger, then Natalie's rendition of I dreamed a dream and she sang Memories fully from memory (for the fifth time that I know of it's on our karaoke machine) Then the show was interrupted by the neighbor kids coming to play. Normally I don't mid other people's children but these are the kids have respect no one and listen to no one. I had just bought Aggie a new pack of crayons to go in her new crayon roll that I made her. (Its almost July I had to do one in red white and blue) This one hold the large crayons, just right for her little chubby hands. I love that she colors in books and not the walls. At least i can pick up my copy of The Lost symbol a few years from now ans see her little markings. But the girls of these kids just walks up to my door and goes right inside then after the kids chase her out she comes out with Aggie's crayons which I know were in the kitchen floor. When I eventually got them to go away and we were packing everything up to go in and fix dinner, they came back. I busied myself a little long picking up wrappers from the snack that I gave them and the girl threw in my garden that isn't growing because there isn't enough sunlight coming though the trees. But no worries Toby ate it! He likes the sweets. When I finally got to my last nerve and was telling the kids they had to go home This girl gets mad and breaks the purple crayon! I know I'm 28 years old but I wanted to cry for Aggie. We don't make a lot of money and when we have enough to buy little extras like crayons its special. I took it personal. Really I did I flat out told them to leave, and was getting irate. I was confronted with the typical your not my boss attitude. I despise that attitude these kids need a wake up call in reality that the worked is run by adults and when one tells you to go home it's normally a good idea to listen. I then resorted to the you have to go home we are not going to be out here. I don't want you to get hurt, you should e where adults can watch you. I was told that they would hurt them selves. These kids are only 4 or 5 years old. The only adult outside was myself and the elderly lady to my right. Where are they're parents? Finally I flat out told them I'm sick I just got out of the hospital and I need to go in my house ans sit down before I make dinner you need to leave! That was when my neighbor walked over and told the kids' parents that I couldn't get them to go home. The mother came and got them, tho she seemed annoyed at the fact that I wouldn't play with her kids. What was I to say? They are her kids. We eventually made it into the house and I chose to focus on dinner rather than sitting down. Chopped broccoli and mushrooms skinned the chicken breasts and made a casserole. Then I changed Mikey's diaper and feed him some peas and chicken left overs I heated up and pureed in the baby food processor. Then it hit me I was light headed and weak, in swoop I gave Aggie her crayons and book and Mikey some Cheez its and made it to the couch. The next thing I know my grandmother is standing in my house collecting my kids and apologizing for making me try to take care of them again. And where was Stephen through all of this. I thought he was working on his race car. So I called and left a really irate message. When I finally got to talk to him I was informed that he was talking to a guy about a better paying job. My bad but I didnt' apologize exactly, I felt i should have been informed or at least called and told when he got the message. I told him I was sorry I was sick and emotional then went to my room to cry. On the up side I still have Mikey who Stephen put to bed and my casserole turned out really good. But when you top a casserole with cheez its how could it not be!