Whew, what a day!

Have you ever just had one of those days? Well today was my turn to have one of them. Dustin has a business trip out of town and had to leave this morning. He took all of us out for donuts this morning, and after all the last minute running we did he ended up also taking us for an early lunch. It was really nice to get to spend a little extra time with him before he left.

Next on the plate was Brayden's best friend's birthday party. The boys had a blast and thankfully were well behaved so it was pretty easy for me to watch all 4 by myself even with them going in different directions. About halfway through the party it was time for cake and when I looked over at Brandt he was holding his stomach and grimacing. I asked if he felt ok and he told me his stomach was really hurting. I told him I wanted him to try to use the restroom, but when he stood up he was in too much pain to walk. So I picked him up and carried him about 2 minutes way to the bathroom. I told him I would be back to check on him, but I had walked off and left Brennan sitting in a chair eating cake and I needed to go back and check on him. I told him if felt like walking to come back to me, otherwise I would be back in a few minutes to check on him (note: this was a private party so there was nobody else there except our party...otherwise I would never have left him). So I got the baby and went back to check on him. When I got back he was sitting on the floor bawling. He said it hurt to bad to walk. So I had the 2 yr old walk and I carried the 7 yr old. Our good friend (birthday boy's mom) is a nurse and she told me she would take him in to be seen since at this point he has now been in fairly severe pain for almost an hour. She offered to watch Brayden since she had an extra booster and 1 extra seat in her car. So I loaded up the other 3 boys and headed off to Urgent Care.

I called my mom to tell her what was going on (she lives an hour from me), and she tells me that she was actually in town buying mulch and would meet me at Urgent Care to watch the other boys. I remember seeing a new Urgent Care in town and head that direction not sure if they are even open since it is 4:30 PM on a Sunday. Low and behold they are open until 5 AND they take our insurance at just a doctor's copay. By the time we get out of the van Brandt is feeling much much better. At this point I am not sure whether to take him in to be seen or go home now that he appears to be ok. I decide since it is almost after hours it is better to go ahead and be seen just to make sure he is over whatever was going on earlier. After a few minutes my mom and dad show up and go on Brennan and Bryson duty respectfully, and I head back with Brandt to be seen.

Brandt has a 101 fever even after Tylenol, but isn't bothered at all by the poking or prodding on his tummy. The doctor tells me that Strep throat is going around and it can do really weird things to you including severe stomach pains. Brandt tells him that his throat does not hurt at all. We go ahead and test him, and it comes back positive. The doctor is certain this was the culprit of his stomach ailment which is just really odd to me. Of course this is after we were at my parents' towns' homecoming yesterday, a wedding last night, and a birthday party today. Nice. I am suppose to have in-service tomorrow at school, but will now be staying home with all 4 boys.

I get to the pharmacy to drop off his Rx and pick up Bryson's Eczema Rx since he is having a severe flair-up that is not responding to Aquaphor like normal. The Pharmacist tells me that Bryson's prescription is not covered by insurance at all since it has to be mixed. I see dollar signs floating before my eyes. I am too afraid to ask how much, since the last Rx he got for his eczema was $75 our part AFTER insurance. I finally get up enough courage to ask what it will cost and we he tells me a little less than $12 I have to hold myself back from jumping out of my van to kiss him, but I refrain and stay seated and just had him my debit card instead.

I finally have a chance to go pick up Brayden and get almost there and my children pipe up that they are hungry. I look down and it is almost 6:30 and they normally eat closer to 5:30. I pull into McDonalds (for the 2nd time today...I have to get bonus cool mom points for subjecting myself to that 2 times in 1 day). I grab food to go making sure everyone has their own drink and really stress to the boys to not drink after each other. We had the following conversation:

Me: "Boys I bought you each your own drink, so please do not drink after each other"
Bryson: "So I can't share with him? But mommy, we are suppose to share".
Me: "No Bry, please do not share with him. This is just for you and no one else".

Wow, after all my hard work getting them to share with each other without squabbling and then I just kill it.

I finally get there to pick up Brayden and I tell the boys they are not going in since I don't want to get the other family sick. Brandt is very concerned that I am going to stay in there talking to long. Who, me? So as I am getting their food out to hand it to them (you know so they have something to do while I am talking talking talking) birthday boy's daddy comes and gets us and tells us to come eat inside. They have Brayden in the shower so that would be one less thing I have to do tonight. Have I said how much I love them? Really, they are plain amazing!

I finally get all of my chickadees home and get ready to start baths/showers. I get Bryson is the shower downstairs and just as I set Brennan in the bathtub upstairs Brandt comes running in to tell me that Bryson has pooped in the shower downstairs and is screaming and crying for me. Keep in mind Bryson is 4 1/2 and has been potty trained (day and night) going on 2 years now. So my mind starts imagining that there is massive blow-outs and soon to be throw up everywhere. Brayden is helping me with Brennan. I tell him I have to run and check on Bryson and I have to leave him in charge of the 2 year old. I give him very strict orders on what to do and race down the stairs. By the time I get there Brandt has gotten in with Bryson and most of the poop has gone on down the drain. I ask Bryson how he feels and he is so upset with himself he starts crying. I explained he wasn't in trouble I just wanted to make sure he was ok. Turns out he thought he was tooting and a little more came out. Whoops! He wants out so he can finish on the potty which I way prefer to the bathtub. So I get him out as quick as I can and race back upstairs.

As I get to the middle of the stairs Brayden yells down that Brennan is crying and wants me. So I am about out of breathe at this point and turn the corner to see soap suds all over Brennan's head. I ask Brayden if he did that, and he very proudly tells me that he washed Brennan for me. He actually did a really good job, minus the soap suds in the hair. I finish rinsing the soap out of his hair and he rewards me by pouring 2 huge cups of water all over me and the floor. Nice, icing on my already wonderful day! I am hoping Dustin's day wasn't nearly as adventurous as mine.