Lost

I had a terrible dream.  We were all at this HUGE Discovery Center on  multiple levels and Adalyn got seperated from us.  As we were frantically trying to find her, the others got seperated from us.  We went up to a desk and reported our missing, and they made an announcement over the intercom and walky-talkies, but it was so loud and full of kiddos and parents, that no one seemed to hear the news.  We looked in nooks, crannies, under staircases, in little play houses, down twisty slides, and tunnels.  Feeling hopeful that they couldn't get outside and we were bound to find them eventually, we then discovered water slide tunnels on every level that went out from the building down to the very bottom.  There were so many water slides and ladders, it reminded me of the game Chutes and Ladders. We kept looking, and searching. We started shouting their names.  Parents started helping us.  After being inside started making me panic in fear that they had gotten out by way of the water slide, a new fear came. What if Adalyn got out and went down the slide and drowned?  So, out we both went down water slides. As I rode down the twisty slide, I looked out at the stairs leading back to the top.

I woke up hearing Alivia squirming. But I had to find my girls. I fell back asleep and the search was on again. 

I was imagining them not even realizing they were lost.  Just bouncing around from one slide to another, from one playhouse to another.  They would be having the time of their lives and have no clue that they were being sought after.  There were all these dangers going through my head as we searched.  They could fall, get taken, they could drown. Maybe they were aware that we weren't with them, and they were walking around crying, "Mama.  Daddy."

I went down a slide and passed Louis walking up a set of steps.  I didn't want to lose him. At least I had my cell phone.  I'm on the water slide- it won't work now.  I need to find my girls.

I woke.  They're here.
I fell fast asleep.  I need to find them. 
I can't find them.

Then Alivia.
They're here.
They're here.
It's just a dream.  A bad dream.

Dream results in some action!

About 3 weeks ago, I had this dream that I went in to labor and we weren't ready. So I made myself a "To-Do" list of about 5 things:

1. Clean out the deep freezer, then stock it with easy meals for when Alivia arrives.
2. Pack the diaper bag and our hospital bag.
3. Have groceries available here for our girls and their caretakers while we are in the hospital.
4. Clean the van.
5. Do some deep cleaning of the house and get all the laundry caught up.

• The first thing we did, was got the diaper bag all packed. There's nothing more fun than washing clothing for the one that's not here yet. It stays clean!!! Then we packed our hospital bag. I originally packed a summer dress to come home in.  then I changed my mind,  have you ever tried to nurse while wearing a dress?  It's been about 7 months since I've had to think about that.   So we bought me a pair of drawstring capris because I couldn't pack up a pair of maternity pants and not have use of them for so long. Both bags, and the car seat have been in Louis' van for 2 weeks.
• We then hit the grocery store. Twice. One night for dry goods as we passed through Albany to Somerset to go to Bob Evans to eat. We always forget they are an hour ahead of us. We pulled in the parking lot 15 minutes before they closed at 9 (their time) and you should have seen the looks I got from the employees when I walked in to ask their closing time. We drove all that way for Bob Evans, and by goodness, we were gonna eat at Bob Evans. Louis' comment made me change my mind, and so we headed to find another place. I was sure Frisch's wouldn't spit in our food because they closed an hour later.
• The next day, I had to pick up donuts, and so I hit Save-A-Lot in Albany again for all the cold stuff. It helped my legs to break up the shopping like that. And pyschologically, it felt like I spent less. My receipt total was $77 for the first night and $140 the next day. Not bad. (I would have felt bad if I saw the total at $217.00). Hehe.
• As we unloaded all the groceries, I had to kind of rearrange cabinets to accomodate everything.  I made special food baskets for the girls that has been off limits until Alivia is born.  For a few days they were saying, "I can't wait til Alivia is born so I can eat that food".  It's fun kid food like ravioli, spaghetti-os, fruit snacks, pudding cups, and pop-tarts.  Not stuff we generally buy, but stuff that would be easy for someone to get out for them.  I have no worries, that Abigail and Anna will go for that as soon as we head to the hospital. 
• Then I had a cook day (that lasted 2 days because I ran out of energy).  Abigail and Anna helped me clean out both freezers.
• After spending two days in the kitchen, I turned around to notice our house was turned upside down.  So when Monday rolled around we spent about 3 hours cleaning.  I made out a game board for them that had tasks written out above circles that led to a Game Over box at the bottom.  Once they completed their tasks, they could color in the circles that were below the written tasks.  They loved that game.  Then when they all got to the Game Over, they got to eat popsicles outside and play for 30 minutes,  Then I painted all their nails after their baths.  At the end of the day, we had our clean house again.
• A few days later, we had a "Sure" Day (where I just said "sure" to the girls' requests.  One of their requests was to wash the van in their bathing suits.  Cool...it'd check off part of my list. 



Below the microwave are the 2 red food baskets.   Our older 3 girls are very proud of them and super protective of them.  Adalyn discovered them Thursday and helped herself to some of the fruit snacks.  You've never seen more upset sisters! 

So it took about a week to check off the 5 things.  But it felt good.  I felt like THEN we could go in to the hospital and have a baby because all of that was done!  The fridge and freezer were stocked, the bags and carseat loaded, the house was clean and the laundry was caught up.  These days, I feel like we're gonna eat through our stock and by the time we finally have this girl, the house will be a wreck and the laundry will be piled high. 

Being productive

Last night:

• I pulled off the off-white blanket from our bed and washed it.
• I disassembled and vacuumed out a picture frame.  
• I pulled Adalyn out of the tub and she went poop on the potty chair!!! 

Because...

• Adalyn spilled her grape juice on the blanket.
• Trying to get her basketball, Anna stepped on a picture frame out in the garage (doesn't everyone store those on the floor when you're going through a box of frames?).
• I noticed a floater in the tub among the bath toy Adalyn was playing with.  If she'd had her whole basket of toys in there, I probably wouldn't have noticed the thing.  Love draining a tub, cleaning the whole thing out, then putting your kiddo back in the tub for the rest of her bath.

Gracefully staying alive with #5

Surviving summer while pregnant:
Drink water.
Drink water.
Drink more water.

And the mildly inconvenient results:
Bathroom trip.
Bathroom trip.
Bathroom trip.

Today has been unseasonably hot.  I had a quick (unaccompanied) trip to make to church to get something.  I had a great idea!  Rather than refill my huge mug with water and ice (that always seems to fall on the floor, which I have to bend down to retrieve to avoid the puddles), I'd just stay cool on the short drive with a popsicle and eat it....shhh, don't tell any of the girls...IN THE CAR.  So I headed out to the van.

Within a minute, no joke, my homemade popsicle on this little plastic holder was streaming white grape juice all down my arm.  DO YOU KNOW HOW STICKY WHITE GRAPE JUICE IS????  Luckily, I had come to the end of my road, and could stop.  I had been eating it with my right hand.  So I had to put my pospicle in my left hand to put the van into park and unbuckle...which got stickiness on the shift bar and seatbelt.  Meanwhile, I tried eating it faster as it continued to melt and at the same time lean sideways back to my right to get the wipes out of the diaper bag.  Thinking I'm a pretty good multi-tasker at this point, I suddenly lose my balance (pregnancy perk #74) and so have to grab the steering wheel immediately with my left hand.  Do you remember which hand was holding my popsicle?   I spent some time at the stop sign at the end of my road finishing my slush, and wiping down my arms, fingers, chin, the steering wheel, seatbelt, and shift bar.  Then I drove to church. 

Just a driving

While driving a sibling pair home after church tonight, Aliza says to me, "Mommy- I want to be a mommy when I grow up". She must know that being a mommy is the best job there is!