Just a Day in the Life

I got home from work at about 9:30 this morning and then went to find Lars at Kristen's house so we could switch cars. We desperately need a second Honda Oddyssey, but you just don't go around buying cars right before you're trying to get financing for a SoCal house. Anyway, the car situation sucks and we have to do the car dance a lot because it's just not reasonable to put 3- gorgeous children in the back seat of a VW Golf hatchback. The Golf is our work car, so when Lars is primarily taking the train then he keeps the Oddyssey and I use the Golf but we've gotten to the point where the Golf has become an embarrassment to even us. Additionally, I'm starting to get to the point where I have a hard time getting in and out of that little bugger. I told Lars today that I wasn't sure I could take it much longer, I think that he secretly agrees with me.
Today was a Camp Kristen day, thank goodness because I was so darn tired after being up all night and then going to a short midwifery practice meeting. I had a very busy night at the hospital, though only got to "catch" two babies (Diego and Jasmin). By the time I got in the car to drive back home I could hardly hold my head up. Ultimette and the NPR Surf Report kept me company on the way home. The kids hung out with Kristen and Kristen's MIL. Kristen's MIL, Edith, made quite an impression on my little ones because they've been calling her Gramma Nanny.

I tried to sleep, but sleeping during the day is always hard for me. I hear noises, I have funky dreams, I tend to sleep walk, and I typically wake-up every 15-minutes in a jolt thinking I've forgot something important (like my children). It's really tough, and it seems to have gotten tougher even though I'm now into my 7th year of working at night at least one day a week.

After I gave up on sleep, I tried to heat up some stir-fry that Lars had made a few nights before. I made the mistake of leaving it on the edge of the counter, though, and Maggie ended up eating it all. I trudged over to Kristen's thinking I would just get the kids, but they weren't back from their Camp Kristen adventures yet. Maggie and I just waited in her yard for them to get back. Even after everyone got to Kristen's we ended up staying for awhile, despite the kids having spent the entire day with her and the kids. Eventually I summoned the energy to get them rounded up and headed back to the crack house, but as we rounded the corner near our street we met up with Jack and Charlie (buddies of the kids). Soren had a holy conniption so we played with them for a while until Daddy came home, riding up to their house on his big cruiser skate board. We finally made it inside when I was starting to feel like I could sleep for a millenia. I scurried to bed hoping no one would notice, but Lars and Petra noticed. Lars bounced down on our bed next to me, put his hands on my belly and for the first time ever felt Ultimette kick. I was so proud of Lars, usually he doesn't have the patience for waiting for kicks. Petra, on the other hand, will stake out my belly which probably explains why she was the first person to feel her move.

Lars made tacos, vegetarian, of course. Soren had the vegan version. Half way through dinner Lars blurts out "I don't know if I'm going to make it through the night without a beer." Seeing as we have no beer and no milk for our Honey Nut Cheerios, it was decided that a trip to our little organic grocery store was in order. But, as Soren pointed out, "driving is bad for the Orf." Lars thought he would walk, but I thought we should all go on bikes and then the kids could pick out dessert. We quickly threw the dishes near the pile of pots and pans that were in the sink and hopped on our bikes. Lars had the bike trailer with Annike in it (it's a double so someday Ultimette can ride with Annike). Petra rode her super sleek cross-country bike and I rode my bike with the tag-along/3rd-wheel attached, which Soren rode. Now, I'd like to point out that unlike my eldest, Soren isn't connected to his core and lacks balance and grace. I happen to be very pregnant, in case you've missed that detail in other posts. Plus, the tag-along is a little too big for him, though it's nearly a good fit. Finally, I would like to point out that I hadn't slept since Monday morning and here it is Tuesday evening on the brink of dusk. Every time Soren turns his head he sends the whole bike catapulting in the direction that he's looking so I spent much of the bike ride screaming at Soren to look in the direction that we were going as well as trying to keep us from slipping into the traffic on the left of us or the ditch to the right of us. Finally, we made it to Henry's. Lars and the kids went in while I sat on a bench with the bikes and finished having my coronary alone.

While I was waiting for them to come out of Henry's, I was watching a very aggravating scene unravel. I could hear someone coming out of the store yakking very loudly on her cell phone in an obnoxious East Coast accent. I turned around and saw this 30-something looking young woman with bleach blond hair blabbing away about "imbibing on some quaint vino with the girls" while wildly pushing her grocery cart in every direction. She looked to be about 5'2", maybe 105 lbs, but monstropolous boobs that were ridiculously large (and perky fake) for her frame. She unloaded her groceries, still yapping like a chihuahua on her cell, and then started to push her cart over to the cart corral but evidently changed her mine -- apparently 3-parking spots away was just too far for her boobed-out frame to manage. Guess what that woman did? She took the cart and shoved into the middle of the handicap parking spot that was right next to her. Not returning carts to the cart corral is one of my hugest pet peeves, I always return my cart, and I see no reason why a fit, healthy, young woman shouldn't do that same. I was absolutely stunned that someone would do something so heinous as to leave a grocery cart in a handicap spot of an organic grocery store, who the Hell does that? Ergh. Then she got in her car, still talking on the celly, and pullled out of her spot. The new California state law stipulates that it is now unlawful to drive while talking on the cell phone in the absence of a hands-free set. The yapping woman was not using a hands free set. She put her cute little Lexus into drive, chatted on the phone with her vino girlfriend, and then tried to drive out of the parking lot via the entrance-only (very clearly marked) side. Fortunately for her, I didn't have time to get her license plate number because Lars came out with the kids, a gallon of milk, a box of Haagen-Daz bars, 2-watermelon popsicles, a bottle of water and a six-pack of beer. We got on the bikes, headed back to the crack house in pitch black (sun sets early here) and arrived back safely. I plodded over to the shower, very excited to loofah with my Burt's Bees Ginger Energizing soap when Annike hopped in with me. Annike and I got super gingery, but not anymore energetic. Lars helped her get her lotion on and got her jammied. Petra and Soren brushed teeth and Listerined (that's a verb). Everyone kissed me goodnight, Ultimette got several kisses too, clothes were laid out for tomorrow and then all family members under 31-years old got into bed. Lars' laptop was nearby, so I've grabbed it to tell you what life is like without sleep when you're working, pregnant and parenting. I think I heard the vacuum going, good man my husband is. But right now, I'm sitting here in the middle of our huge queen size bed alone (weird, huh) missing the company of little snoring bodies and very much craving the beer that Lars probably has in his hands right now as he's sitting in front of the TV.

The rest of the week promises to be equally tiring, though I hope more sleep is involved. Tomorrow is a beach day, gymnastics, and a prenatal visit with a blood draw (my OB practice is comprised of a bunch of vampires), and then signing of all paperwork related to the new house. Thursday is a long clinic day for me and a curing cancer day for Lars, kids are away at Camp Kristen, and (hold your breath) our new scheduled keys-in-hand date. I suppose we'll start moving our stuff over that night. The rest of the week will be spent moving. We're moving everything ourselves, except the piano. Ugh. If everything goes well, we'll be property tax paying Californians by the end of the week. Unbelievable.