That is not for kisses

Thomas turned 4!!! So now I get to tell people I have 5 kids ages:8,5,4,1,and 6 months. Haha-- imagine those faces-- imagine mine. Thomas has been so eager to go to preschool, and has talked of little else since we moved here. I didn't really want him to go this year because he won't be going to kindergarten next year and will have to do another year of pre-school, since I stay home with them it seems extravagant to send him to two years of pre-school. Plus, I thought he would really enjoy hanging out with me and being the oldest during the day. Nope. He wanted to be big like his brothers and go to school. So, we finally relented and Thomas started pre-school today. Twice a week/all day. Oh, the excitement when he was able to pack a lunch in his batman lunchbox, and he got to wear the backpack both Jack and Luke used in preschool. We were a bit rushed this morning because his school day starts an hour before his brothers, and the adjustment was hard for me to make. He was ready though, he slept in his clothes(a tank top because he is Thomas the Tank and tank tops are his favorite), he brushed his teeth no arguments, and he just waited for me to get it together. 

Back home in crazyland, Pete decided this morning, about 20 minutes before time to walk Jack and Luke to school, that he would cut their hair. They were already dressed for the day- a massive feat. I was just finishing up their lunches.  Luke's hair was done about 5 minutes before time to walk out the door. He calls Jack in now!!! I will say that he got it done, we ended up driving the kids to school instead of walking, and it was a very stressful way to start the day, probably because even though I woke up at 6:30am and it was 8:40am I still hadn't had my coffee. 

Last night I was lamenting the fact that Thomas would be gone all day, which I found odd because with Jack and Luke I was eager and excited for them to go school, learn, and make friends. Pete reminded me that for the first time in a long time I would have consistent days when all the kids still at home would actually be asleep for more than 1 hour. While this may be true here are a few things that happened before nap time.  Meg came over to me with her finger out cry/moaning so I kissed it. Nope. Parent advice- Don't ever just kiss a finger that your kid is holding out to you. NEVER DO IT!!! Poop finger. Yup, she gave me a poop finger, and I just blindly kissed it. No, Meg you don't kiss that. 

I gave Meg a Gatorade bottle this morning, a little later I couldn't find it, but there wasn't gatorade down her shirt so I just let it be and forgot about it. I walk in my room 20 minutes later and guess what? I found the gatorade bottle.

I guess I don't realize how much I rely on the older kids to help me parent. If Thomas were here that would not have gone down. 

I took some time this morning to empty the garbage, the recycling, pay bills, and fill out paperwork I received from Thomas' teacher this morning. Turns out that I put the paperwork in the recycling bin outside but kept a neat pile of all the stuff I meant to recycle. I had to go outside and dig through the recycling to find the forms. After I signed the forms I made a new pile so I would remember to put them in Thomas' folder. Nope. I was just a few second from throwing them in the garbage this time. What is wrong with me?? I realized it was now 10:30am and I hadn't had my coffee yet. I stopped right then and made my coffee. I think I will have two cups just to catch up.

So now I am sitting here realizing that the oldest kid in my house today is 19 months old. What in the world are we going to do all day? I have totally forgotten how to play with and entertain toddlers. Jack was the last child that I really entertained as a toddler, after that I sort of let the siblings take over that part. I worked on the feeding them, cleaning their messes, driving them to the store or library, and stuff of that nature. What am I going to do with her and Robert?  I tried to watch Dora with her and she got excited and said backpack, but then she was done. She got up and left the couch. So I decided maybe I should just turn on Veep and check out that show because I have heard it is good and Meg obviously doesn't want to use the tv right now. Can I finish my book because it is really good? Letting them learn to use their imagination and play without adult supervision is actually really good for them, so I am doing her a favor by ignoring her, right?

The thing with Meg is that she is too clever for her own good. She went into Pete's bag, found a smaller bag, unzipped it, took out the markers, and drew all over her arms and legs. She also has decided that she is a big fan of Coke- just like her mom- and she goes around the house looking for Coke cans and every time she finds one she checks to see if there is any left.

I think I need Thomas back in the house to help me out and give me stuff to do. I feel like today I might be both overwhelmed and bored- a parenting paradox.