Monday morning

It is Monday. I went to bed last night trying to figure out how to manage Megan's award ceremony at 9:15, Timmy's therapy appt at 1:00, Colleen's award ceremony at 1:15, Jack's pickup at 3:10, and Molly's orthodontist appt at 3:30, somehow getting back home to meet Mick's bus at 4:00. There is a bus policy that special needs kids cannot be left with anyone under the age of 18, which means that Jack or Molly, even though they are old enough to babysit him, cannot get him off the bus. This is not a new policy, apparently, but they are now cracking down so if I am not here to get him off the bus, they will drive him back to the school. I have a neighbor who can get him off the bus, but she isn't always home at 4:00. Anyhow, in the middle of the night, Colleen threw up. And Mick was up most of the night coughing. This morning Kiley woke up cranky but Colleen woke up feeling fine, and insisted she was well enough to go to school, saying she did not want to miss the award ceremony. I knew I had to keep Mick home because he was still coughing a lot. At least this eliminates the afternoon bus issue. There is a fine mist of pollen covering everything outside, and I knew that was causing Mick's asthma problem, and that it was also likely causing Kiley's runny nose and crankiness. And my itchy eyes and stuffy nose (this is important, remember, my sense of smell is not up to par). So, I gave them both Zyrtec, hoping that they would nap early so I could somehow manage to fit in everything that needed to be done (including the extra laundry from Colleen's episode). As we were leaving for Megan's ceremony, Shane's teacher called and said he is receiving two awards this afternoon - star student and most improved. His ceremony is at 2:30. We got to Megan's ceremony. I did a diaper/pull-up check in the parking lot. Mick is mid-potty training. He was fine when I checked his pull-up. We got there a little late, and missed Megan's class presentations. Darn it. We stayed so she would know we were there, and so I could at least take a picture of her with her award certificate. We sat in the chairs, and Mick coughed and coughed. Every time I patted his back, he pushed my hand away and patted it himself. I spent a lot of time helping him to blow his nose, and wiping his face. I had one wipe with me. We got up to throw it away, and Mick spotted where Megan was sitting. Before I could stop him, he ran over to her and plopped himself on her lap. She looked happy to have him there. Her friends were looking at him and smiling. At least, that's how it appeared to me. After about 5 minutes, he came back to where Kiley and I were standing and he indicated to me that he had to go potty. I rushed him to the bathroom - the closest one was the adult staff handicap accessible bathroom. He decided he wanted to use the urinal, which was drinking-fountain height. I pulled down his pants and hoisted him up, resting him on my knee so so that he could reach. Nothing was happening, so I sat him down on the potty, where he pooped! I was thrilled! Until I noticed the streak on my pant leg. The big streak. On my pant leg. I was glad I chose the black pants, not the white ones this morning! I cleaned my pants, and Mick up as best I could, while trying to keep Kiley's hands out of the urinal and the toilet. It was exhausting. When we got back to the gym, the ceremony was almost over, thank goodness. I told Megan to ask her teacher if I could take a picture of Megan outside by the tulips. While we were doing this, Megan told me that Kiley was stinky, too. I said, "What do you mean, too?" She said that Mick was poopy while he was sitting on her lap and all her friends smelled him. Delightful. God bless her, she didn't throw him off her lap or act at the time like this was bothering her. So, we took some pictures, came home, I gave Kiley and Mick lunch, Mick a nebulizer treatment, and they are both hopefully falling into a deep slumber. I cancelled Timmy's therapy appt (still doing well on the Zoloft!), so that we can still make it to Colleen's award ceremony. You know I can't go to one without attending all of them! My pants should be out of the dryer by then...........