After picking up the children from school and lunch, The M's went outside in the backyard to play while the baby took a nap. (she's been a bit sick with a running nose and lots of sneezing, so I gave her a bit of Sudafed-conked out). I did some laundry, vacuumed, emptied the dishwasher etc etc, all the fun stuff. Once the baby woke up, we went outside as well. Played in the backyard for awhile, but it is still a mud sloppy mess back there. So we went out to the front and I decided we should walk to the park since it was such a nice day. Son didn't want to walk, or ride his scooter, he wanted to ride his bike. The very same bike that hubbie took the training wheels off of. So, I found the training wheels and a wrench and put those wheels back on for son so he could ride his bike to the park. Daughter 1 is riding her bike from last year and she is now one year older, so this tiny bike is, well, just that, tiny. So I took the wrench to her wheels and put her seat higher. WOW! What a difference and she was off. (who needs a man) The M's are off riding and I am pushing baby in her little car.
The path to the park is like a semi-circle, up a hill. So less than half way there, I am pushing baby and pulling daughter 1 on her tiny bike.
(This is a good thing - I totally need to lose my winter fat) Son is struggling to ride, because he absolutely refuses to push his bike. Once I get daughter 1 up to the top of the hill, I go back down mid-way to collect son and pull him up. You would have thought I was trying to pull his tooth out! He pitched a screaming fit at me for no reason but to be stinky! He was shouting at me that he didn't need my help and to let go of his bike. Well, okay then, struggle away.
We get to the park, wide open area and began to get whipped by the gales of wind! Was it ever windy! I don't even know how the baby was walking, she was more likely getting pushed by the wind. We stayed there for an hour and the children were having a blast running around, screaming and climbing all over everything. The baby started to get very tired and wanted to leave, so I called the M's over to go. My son, of course, started to shout at me again "why are we leaving, I'm not done playing yet". Daughter 1 was happy to leave as she had been going at full speed for the past hour. She got on her bike and started off down the path. My son refused to get on his bike and told me to take it home for him because he was too sweaty to ride it. I attempted to explain to him that if he rode his bike, the wind would cool off his hot head! No luck. As we get the hill, I tell my son, that I cannot push his bike, push the baby and hold daughter 1's bike
(she would never make it down the hill without crashing). The shouting begins again-ARGH!!! I ask son if he can push baby in her car, and this he does for me. Down we go, son running now with the baby down the hill, me having an attack that he is going to crash my baby into the path right on her face. I am shouting to him to slow down, but he can't hear me as the wind is carrying my voice off down the other side of the street!
We make it home safely and I discovered that my son has turned into a very sassy boy. When did this happen? And How and WHY?
We remained outside for another hour playing in the front drawing up and down the sidewalk and driveway with chalk. By this time, it is now time to leave for soccer practice. I won't freeze this week, but I think I might be blown away.
Off to soccer we go, son is ready to have some fun with his team. But, everytime I look over at him, he is just pretty much standing in the same spot, not moving, not kicking, not participating, not doing anything. After about 40 minutes of this (still 50 mintues of practice left), he is laying in the grass face down, so I walk onto the field, girls following behind me, to ask him what is the matter. He tells me that the coach is not telling him to do anything, just ignoring him. This I do believe because my son is the smallest player on the team and the youngest. He just began soccer last fall, so this is only his 2nd season whereas his teammates have been playing for 2 full years. I walked my son over to the coach and asked him where he would like my son to play. I think he go the hint, because my son was practicing and playing for the remainder of the time. Well, sort of, that is until some kid kicked the ball into his head, then he was done, but there was only 5 minutes of practice left.
The entire time we were outside, I was getting blown to Tibet and back! My face and ears were stinging and red and my hair, oh, I can't even get a brush through it. I'm still windblown from yesterday.
I hope today is not as windy!
You would think that after 5+ hours outside that my children would sleep great and all through the night. Heck no, by this morning, all 3 little tykes were sleeping in my bed!