My Day So Far...

Look at these two sweet and innocent faces...

(not a current picture - I didn't have the time)

These two innocent faces have given me a run for my money today.

It was my Friday to babysit my niece. You see, my sister-in-law, Elizabeth, and I have an arrangement to switch off babysitting on Fridays so the other can volunteer at school. Today was my day to babysit. The day started off fine with me taking Carter to school. The other three were great, Julia didn't even take off her socks and shoes which is what she usually does the minute she gets into the car. This beginning of the day was leading me into a false sense of security that today was going to be an easy day. Those thoughts were my first mistake! I come inside with the kids like I do most days and fed Cora her breakfast. I then took her upstairs to lay her down. I decided that since I was up there, I would go into the playroom and reassemble Spencer's Geo-Trax train set. That was my second mistake of the day! While doing this, we discover that one of the trains needs new batteries. I take the train downstairs to replace the batteries (which goes against my personal motto of "When the batteries are dead, so is the toy"). My third mistake of the day! While replacing the batteries, I hear Julia yelling something to me. After a second of brain processing, I realize she is yelling something about the potty. I yell up to her to come down stairs when I catch a glimpse of her walking like a penguin. I am too late! She has COMPLETELY wet her pants. Even her socks are wet. I then take her into the bathroom and sit her on the potty while peeling her wet clothes off of her. I then throw the pee infested clothes down the laundry shoot and return to dress her in a change of underwear and pants (which Liz had brought by total accident - thank goodness). I return downstairs to throw her clothes and some of mine into the washing machine. That was the only thing I did right today. I then finish replacing batteries. The time was then just before 10:00 am. I then decide I would make myself breakfast, since I hadn't eaten yet. While eating breakfast, the two children were hoovering around me like a couple of vultures. In order to eat in peace, I tell Spencer to go to the closet under the stairs to get some toys. Spencer quickly came out with some finger paint from the easel saying he wanted to paint. I said no that I was eating and we weren't going to paint today. Spencer then wanted me to do something for him ( I don't remember what) when I realise that Julia had not come out of the closet. I rise up to go to the closet just as Julia comes running out with paint all over her hands yelling, "You see my pictures?" She has painted all over the easel (which has no paper on it), but luckily for me there wasn't paint all over. I take her into the bathroom to wash her hands noticing that there is some paint on her shirt and pants, but at least it was washable. My relief of the morning comes when my friend, Kate, called me. Talking to her was the forth mistake of the day. While on the phone, I went into the laundry room to change the clothes. When I was done the kids came out of my room to talk to me. When they got close, it got a big whiff of bathroom cleaner. I panicked and asked them what the were doing. They took me into my bedroom to show me that they were cleaning one of Spencer's Lightening McQueens with bathroom cleaner and toilet paper. There were clumps of wet toilet paper all over. I had to make sure that they didn't ingest any of it, so I did a quick breath smell while calmly asking if they put it into their mouths. Luckily they hadn't. I then throw all of the stuff away. While bringing the car into the kitchen to "clean" I notice that the floor is disgusting. I decide to sweep it. My fifth mistake of the day. While I am sweeping the floor, I realise that I haven't heard those two monkeys in a couple of minutes, which is too long today. I go towards my bathroom to reach a locked door. I pound on the door to have Spence open the door. I notice that his pants are a little wet around the knees. I asked him what he was doing and he said cleaning when I hear Julia screaming, "Help me out!" I run to the bathroom to catch her from falling off the bathtub. I notice that my bubble bath is open and poured out. When I pick up Julia, she is covered from head to toe in bubble bath. I then strip her clothes off, her other pants are still in the dryer and not dry yet. I take her upstairs to put some of Spencer's clothes on her that are too small. While changing her clothes and giving the children the lecture that they are now not allowed down stairs, they grabbed two of Carter's Pokemon cards. Spencer had dumped them all over his floor and bed. I then grabbed the cards out of both of their hands and proceeded to pick up all of the cards. While I am cleaning up that mess, I thought that I saw Julia walk by like she was heading down stairs. I yell at Spence to go and find her. He goes down and I hear him yelling for her. I put up the cards and joined into the search. We were running and yelling all over the bottom floor. I then head to the garage and start yelling there. Luckily she finally heard me and yelled back. She was upstairs the whole time! I manage to get Spencer back upstairs with Julia. I took in a deep breath and sank into the couch. Just then, there was a knock at the door. It was Liz. My three hours were up! They left and I have given the kids food, that is how I have actually found the time to write ALL of this down. My two better take naps today, because this mommy really could use one herself. ZZZ...