too busy

Things have been a little too busy around here lately. We have so many things going on that a lot of things have been lacking. For instance, our dinners have basically consisted on me throwing a bunch of snacks and food in a picnic basket that I've been carrying around with us in the car. As soon as the kids are home from school, we are off doing all sorts of activites, then we usually don't get home until it's time for bed. It has been really tricky getting the kids to get their homework done, when they're hardly home. A lot of times I have to wake them up early the next day to get their homework done before school. Samuel and I are busy running errands, going to play group, having dr. and dentist app., wic app., frg training and meetings, tumbling, shopping, and all sorts of things. And if I'm home I'm either cleaning up, exercising or working on the computer. I've realized that being busy is good, but right now we're too busy, so next month I'm not signing the kids up for after school activites, and I've canceled a few things I'm doing too. The girls and samuel will still be doing soccer, and Joseph will be finishing golf, and then start tennis in a little while. I want to be able to have our nightly dinners sitting down at the table, and talking to each other. I've really missed that, and I think the kids have too. Last week, the highlights were: On valentine's day, I had a dinner/breakfast for some of the spouses in the ward who's sweethearts were gone. So I made crepes, with all sorts of delicious fresh berries, and yogurt, and cream cheese filling, with eggs and bacon. yummmm...I love crepes, I think everyone had a good time. On monday morning, everyone woke up coughing. On Tuesday, Samuel had a sports physical appointment so he could play soccer. He passed the physical, but the dr. said he had bronchitis, so we got him some antibiotics. On Wednesday, the girls (they are on the same team) had their first soccer practice. I think they had a good time. Joseph missed the bus after school, and decided to walk home (scaring mom half to death, when Austin and Betsy got off the bus, and Joseph did not), but thank goodness he made it home all right. Babysitting friend's kids. I also went to a communications workshop for the FRG. Maintenance was supposed to come friday morning to fix a bunch of broken things, and spray for bugs. So I spent as much time as I could cleaning Thursday to get the house looking clean. Then I waited and waited and the fix-it guy came, but the bug spray guy never did, so I called and they rescheduled for this friday, so I gotta make sure the house stays clean. I was going to the El Paso Women's conference friday night and saturday. I had just dropped the kids off at childcare, when I got a call from one of the ladies of visit teach, her husband is in Iraq with Travis. She had just gotten into a car accident with her friend, and two little boys, and was in the emergency room at the hospital. She said she wanted a priesthood blessing, so I told her I would call someone for her, she said they were doing okay at the moment, and I told her to call me if she needed me to take her little boys home. After I hung up, I got in the car and started driving toward the banquet I was going to, and couldn't shake the thought or feeling that this sister needed me, so I called her back and asked her if she needed me to come to the hospital and help her, she said yes. So I drove to the hospital, and went to the information desk and asked about my friend, they took me back into the emergency room to where my friend and her kids were. One of the little boys saw me, and gave me a big hug and said he missed me, the other little boy hugged me too, and told me how some lady hit his mom's car. The mom and her friend, and one of the little boys needed x-rays, so I kept helping wherever I could. Luckily I had a few toys and mints and stuff in the carthat I had brought in with me, that helped me to distract the little boys. Everyone turned out to be okay, both the adults we're cut and bruised pretty good, but nothing was broken, and the boys were fine, they had plenty of fun, running down the halls with me in my high-heels and semi-formal dress chasing them down. The missionaries came and gave my friend a blessing, and the bishop came a little while later. They we're discharged after a couple hours, and I drove them all home (since their car was totaled), and then I was able to go back and pick up my kids from childcare, just before closing. It was amazing how it worked out,that I was able to help them. I'm so glad I chose to listen to the spirit and was able to help my friend, I felt so good inside, and much better then if I had gone to the banquet. I also took them Travis' car the next day and I'm letting them use it, until they get a new car. I went to the rest of my conference on Saturday, and had a great time, doing yoga, learning about healing herbs, listening to motivational speakers, and doing tai chi and eating yummy food. I also went to a scrapbooking meeting that night, because I'm working on a scrapbook for Austin. I hadn't seen the kids much on friday or saturday, but they made up for it on Sunday. They constantly all needed my attention, and kept fighting with each other. We also ended up taking Joseph to Urgent Care, because of a sore on his foot that has been bothering him for a long time. I called the tel-a-nurse line, thinking they would just make an appointment for him next week, but they told me to bring him in right away. So my friend Laurie watched Samuel for me, and I took the rest of the kids to urgent care. The dr. said it was a plantar wart, and prescribed an ointment to put on it. I was pretty embaressed for taking my kid to urgent care for a wart, but I didn't know what it was, and it hurt him quite a bit. The dr. said he probably got it from the mats at Judo, from being bare-footed. So anyway, that's all the stuff I can remember, but I'm hoping to calm things down a little bit, so we can have more quality time together, and also be available to help those around me more.