Its noon, and its been a long day already...

This morning, #4 & 5 and I went to town--they had an appointment with the audiologist and ENT (Ears, Nose, and Throat doctor). Oh, it was ugly. I'll admit it--I've been spoiled. #1-3 love going to the doctor. They love going to the dentist. They want to go MORE often, not less. Don't ask me how I lucked out, I just did.

But the youngest two make up for their easy-going personalities, in spades. I have told their doctor (a family practice, who sees us all) that the good Lord decided to ladle it all out on me with these two children...so instead of getting two moderately fussy children, I ended up with screaming banshees...for two hours. One child that way, for two hours, would have been plenty. But two? By myself? Even I, with my seeming eons of experience, had no clue. Had we been at home, the answer would have been simple. But we weren't at home, and segregating them away seperately until they got over their fit was not an option. They weren't scared. They were ANGRY. And yes, I can tell the difference. They very much wanted NO part of any sort of exam, regardless of how non-intrusive it was. And I, the meanest mommy in the whole world, was not helping them at all. Not even when I played, not hugging, not rocking, not one moment were they truly content. I got them to be quiet for about 20min, with lollipops (thank you, Lord, for sympathetic nurses!), but that was not while they were being examined. The moment anyone else entered the room, they were on high alert status. Ready to scream, bellow, thrash, and otherwise let their displeasure be felt at a millisecond's notice.

I love children, I really do. But there are times I wonder about God. And why He gifts some people with certain children. Or, in my case, what fit of humour struck Him, so He gave us twins? I realize that #1 was praying for a baby. And then started praying for a brother. Perhaps the wires got crossed, and the Lord took that to mean she wanted one brother, and the other one didn't matter. Maybe He wanted me to grow in my capabilities...maybe He just wanted me to see how close to the brink capable, loving, otherwise sane mothers can get, when they are dealing with not one, but two screaming terrors. Who are otherwise the sweetest, most loving little people in the world.

But not when their wills have been crossed. SIGH. Let me tell you--we don't let them get away with bad behavior. But unfortunately, public spankings, etc, are not much of an option today. So many people are apt to jump to conclusions first, and ask questions much much later....my public disciplinary technique usually involves removing the child from the scene, denying them whatever audience/item they were fussing for/about, and going home. But doctor's appointments are different. This wasn't a trip to the grocery, this was an appointment we had to at least attempt to see through, since insurance is involved and is being billed. So I tried to muddle through it the best I could.

Fortunately, the doctor was able to tell that they both are perfectly normal anatomically. No problems with oversized tonsils/adenoids, like #2, and no ear malformations, etc, either. The audiologist (a VERY VERY nice man, thanks be to God!), was able to get #5 to cooperate *just* long enough to test him. He is fine. Woohoo! But #4. Oh dear me. He was having abso-posi-lutely NONE of it! You could not test his ears, you could not test him far, or near. You could not test him in a box, you could not touch him with a fox. You could not test him, Big Ear Man, Oh no, YOU WILL NOT TEST HIM, BIG EAR MAN!!!!!!!

That is about as close as I can to being humorous about it. Trying to impose Dr Suessian type wording over #4's reactions...basically, there was no-way, no-how, that ANYONE (mommy, a big tall ear man, the doctor, a nurse, or anyone else!) was going to be checking his hearing. Pinning him down didn't help. We tried it. Waiting til he stopped screaming, didn't help (he didn't inhale long enough to scan the ears). No, really. We tried. And tried. And tried again.

On the one hand, I felt a bit like a failure. On the other, I know that this happens from time to time to every parent. At least, I think it does. I kind of hope it does, and that this is no reflection on my parenting. Seriously, after the other three, I'd have thought I had a lock on it. But oh, no.

I've always tried to be sympathetic and understanding, when other folks have problems with their children in public. Look, I've got children, I understand when they are having a bad day, or aren't feeling 100%. So I know it wasn't God issuing me a "comeuppance" when He graciously gave us these two howler monkeys. But sometimes...just occasionally...I wonder what I did. LOL. Love them though I do...I wish they would be a biiiit more flexible. Just a touch.

In other news, I was able to run a couple of small errands, got the sauces to the parish office--our local parish has a delightful event each fall, that is very much a tradition, and much anticipated by the local community. Last year, we donated 7 dozen eggs (from our own chickens). This year, not having so many birds, we donated Worcestshire and Hot Sauce. I'm not sure what they are using them for, but I'm not going to argue. LOL. They tell me what they want, and I say "Thank you for letting me help!"--especially since I cannot go and help make anything, set up, clean up, or run the thing.

I got the gold paint/glaze I wanted to use for my flower pot. I'm not quite pleased with how it turned out. I may spray another coat of ORB over it, but if I can muddle through with it, I'll try another technique (same paint colors) on another pot just a bit smaller than this one, and see if it works any better.

I'm really ready for a nap, but it is already after 3 here, and that means that dinner had better be in the planning. And it isn't, as of right now, and so I had best get on it. Fortunately, the older 3 got their schoolwork done this morning while I was gone, and that has been corrected and reworked as needed. The younger two are still napping (thanks be to God), and I am hoping to get dinner planned/in the works before they get up and want all of my attention (okay--maybe "want" is too strong a word. They will *need* my attention, to keep them from doing things like building a rocket ship, hurtling each other off their sisters' bunk beds, getting into their father's tools and building a nuclear reactor, etc. I just want to keep my house intact, is all. Is that too much to ask? Really?

So, how has *your* day gone? Has it been one of remarkable productivity? Or did you wake up and decide that today, the world could keep spinning without your input, and then promptly pulled the covers up and went back to sleep? If either of those was the case for you, I am sooo jealous! If not, and it was just one of those "Ugh, gotta get moving...thanks for letting me wake up this morning on this side of the Great Beyond, Lord", well, I understand the sentiment, and I'm right there with you! LOL For all the beauty out there today, a good long nap would have been simply wonderful. I know, I know. It is one of the last beautiful days of fall. Why am I not out there enjoying it? Well, I'd blog on the front porch, but the sun is too bright to see the monitor. LOL. Otherwise, I would consider it. Hmmm...this may be another reason to move that whole "knock the front of the house forward about 20 feet" plan higher on the priority list, lol.

Anyway, folks, I'm off to look into the foggy depths of my freezers and see what I can dredge up from the recesses, to fill the bellies around me...

Hopefully, they'll like it.

And hopefully, your day has gone better than mine.

More later (hopefully, more pictures of Chicky-Baby!)...