The Saturday Outing: From the Mundane to the New Chaos

Friday. Daycare was open and we took advantage.

Patric's new tools were put to good use right off the bat.

And this new set has found a place of prominence in our house.

More on what this is about later.
(No, we don't wonder where the Nicholas hambone gene came from.)

That drawer was cleaned out to make room for the new tools. The drawer that had become the that-looks-dangerous-shove-it-in-the-drawer-drawer.

And the tree was tucked away, the floor cleaned and the toys set so pretty until they got home and managed to turn the shopping carts into distribution carts to ensure each room and each corner had a toy.

And that thing was cleaned out--ick.

I'm telling you, we are a crazy bunch when left home alone without children.

Enter the New Chaos.

Out the door Saturday morning to the Children's Museum. And this time we braved the trip sans double stroller on the very day that all of Memphis decided the Children's museum would be a good time.

So we spent an hour and a half yelling across exhibits:

"How many do you have?"

"I have three."

"I have one. We're good."

"Wait. Where'd Ben go?"

"Elaine come back here! No you cannot climb the maze. I lost one!"

"I have two."

"I have Ben now. And there's Alida. Is Nicholas with you?"

"No, but here's Elaine. I've only got one. Nicholas?!"

"There he goes."

"Okay. So you have two and I have two?"

"No. I thought you had Nicholas. He was headed your way."

"No, Alida needs new pants."

"I left the bag in the car. You have the three and I'll take care of her?"

"Okay."

and on. and on. and on.

And when we got them wrangled into the little dentist room, we breathed a quick sigh before we started screaming at people not to brush their own teeth.

Nicholas gave a swipe to the dummy and declared them clean. Ben wanted nothing to do with the whole thing.

And then we stumbled across the heavily gated small children's play area. And I slumped down in a heap in the corner as the girls ran off to all things new and Patric took off with the boys to climb on the life-size motorcycle and fire truck. And I have no idea how long they ran and played and enjoyed their freedom before I thought to sniff them out. And then it was time to take them kicking and screaming out of the fun to find their brothers to pony up and be on our way.

There are days the Stubers look like an outfit in public.

Saturday was one of those days.

And because we are gluttons for punishment, we went on a walk after nap time--without the stroller. And we stopped by a friend's house in the neighborhood to welcome their daddy home from Iraq. While we were there everyone decided they needed to use the potty; we took some ornaments off the tree; we spit on their glass-top coffee table; and we found the access drawer to the knick-knack display. After fouling the air with an obvious diaper explosion, we took our leave. And I can imagine the looks that were exchanged as we strolled back down the street to head for home.

If we could only know in advance when we were going to have one of those diapery kind of days...

The Sunday leave-the-stroller-behind disaster we'll leave for another day soon.