Ragweed.

For any of you out there experiencing any mom guilt or just feeling plain lazy, this could make you feel better.  Here is a list of things I should have done today but didn't:

1.  Shower

2. Get dressed before 11 a.m.

3. Get child dressed before 11 a.m. 

4. Fold laundry

5. Put a new trash bag in the compactor;  use paper bag on the counter for trash instead

6. Return emails

7. Return calls

8. Buy sunflower seed butter since Louie's school has banned peanut butter

9. Make vet appointment for our dog who I sort of backed over a little bit yesterday.  I just heard a yelp and I immediately stopped the car.  We checked her out and she's walking fine and acting normal. But we just want to make sure.  I'm not that big of a slob.  Am I?

11.  Give children, covered in mac-n-cheese and avocado, a bath

This could go on but you don't want to hear every item on my short or long-term to-do list. You get the picture.  Oh yeah, and I should have wet Swiftered my kitchen floor because yet again, my boys have black hands and knees from contact with floor.  I'm feeling especially guilty about that one for some reason.  But let me reassure you, I'm okay. I really am.  Kinda of.  I think.  In fact, the reason I'm writing this is because I rarely have such a completely out-of-sync, greasy-hair day.  At least I was able to accomplish all basic child care duties including diapering, feeding and disbursement of drinks.  Here's what I actually did:

1.  8:20 a.m. Put Ace down for his morning nap 40 minutes earlier than normal so I could go back to sleep

2. 8:21 a.m. Went back to sleep

3. 10:00 a.m. Hear Ace awake, run in, throw some books in his bed and run out (thinking, what, I don't know...that he would go back to sleep?)

4.  10:05 a.m.  Books didn't accomplish anything.  Get Ace out of bed. 

5.  10:15 Get back in bed and give myself a pep talk while Ace pleads to get up (in my bed). Up. Up!  UPPPPP!!!!  

6.  11:00 a.m. Stumble into Publix to get allergy medication.  Maybe this is allergies, I'm thinking.  My doctor says the ragweed count is high.  

7.  12:00 Feed Ace, pick up Louie from school, put both to bed

8.  1:45 p.m. Go to bed

9.  2:00 p.m. Change Louie's dirty diaper

10. 2:02 p.m. Go to bed

11. 2:45 p.m. Change Louie's dirty diaper

12. 3:30 p.m. Louie is obviously not going to sleep so I get him up.  Ace is up.  

13. 3:35 p.m. Go back to bed and guiltily watch The Hills

14. 3:50 p.m. Boys start to get whiny. Put boys in "ball pit" which is our pack-n-play filled with balls.  They can't get out.  Repeat, they CAN'T get out.  

15.  3:52 p.m. Guiltily finish watching The Hills

I'll stop now.  Half of you are probably trying to find the number to Tennessee Child Protective Services.  Today certainly wasn't one of the award-winning mom days I usually have! 

I rallied around 4:50 and took the little guys outside for a while.  And made their dinner. While I was making (boiling noodles) their dinner I heard a tap, pause, tap, pause, tap.  I'm at the sink, draining macaroni.  Putting trash in my paper trash bag.  Tap, pause, tap, pause, tap.  Ace is sitting below me "helping" unload the dishwasher (yes, I unloaded it - I was rallying!).  It was such a subtle and unusual sound.  I turn around, realizing it's the sound of walking. Louie is walking from the island to the chair. Independently. Not prompted. Not with one person tricking him by letting go of his hand while another person is holding a highly desired item.  He was walking quasi-independently last week - quasi because he would walk independently if forced, prompted and bribed.  

But today, it was his choice.  He made the choice to walk.  For the past two years, those are the steps I've been waiting for.