Sundays without Pete (aka a typical Sunday)

Pete's on call today up at the hospital. He left at 5:30 am this morning and will hopefully be back around noon tomorrow. So that means we get to do Sunday alone today (lucky me!) Nothing too unusual I guess. Pete got called into our bishopric earlier this year, so I've gotten used to it. I don't want sympathy, I just wanted to record what my average Sunday is like so I can look back and laugh, really it's almost comical. My Sunday started off peaceful enough. Woke up briefly when Pete got up, around 5:15, gave him a goodbye kiss, then fell back asleep. Joe woke up a little after 6. Fed him a bottle, he still seemed tired, so laid him back down. Used my free time to get caught up on a few things, checked a few blogs, posted a few. At 7:30 decided I should probably start getting ready for church. The countdown begins. 1 hour 15 minutes until we need to be out the door. Washed my face and did my hair. Dan and John woke up, made them and myself some waffles. 8:00. Wow, time is going by faster than I thought. Put John and Dan in the bath. Joe woke up, got him dressed, and sat him on the floor to play with toys. He's probably hungry but will have to wait. Washed John's hair, helped him get dressed, ran a comb through his hair. John decides he wants to wear a tie. Alright, we'll have to change your shirt then. 8:25. Dan is yelling that he needs to go potty. Go in the bathroom, he wants to sit on the little potty. I sit him on it, wet and all, and he goes (!) Maybe he's ready for potty training after all : ) Stick him back in the tub, wash his hair and get him out. Clothes go on, he wants to wear a tie too. John reminds me he needs a new shirt. I help him get one and he picks out a tie. Dan starts making a fuss over his tie. "I want a red one!!!" Alright, we can do that. Shoes go on and there, the boys are ready to go. 8:40. I'm still in my pajamas, better change quick. The diaper bag's not packed (I really need to start doing that the night before). Grab a bottle and formula, cars, markers, paper, toys for Joe, scriptures, water bottles, diapers, wipes, books, binkie... all the essentials. 8:50. Let's go. Wait, I never fed Joe. I quickly smash up a banana in a small tupperware, add some cereal and water, grab a spoon, then head out the door. I'll have to feed him during Sacrament mtg. (is that irreverent?) We finally make it in the church (on time, yay!), start heading to our seats. Jack (our 91-year old neighbor) wants a hug, as usual. Hmmm... 1 large bag on my shoulder, 1 in my hand, and a baby and program in the other... a handshake might have to suffice this time. Take our seats just as the 1st counselor is standing up to begin. Break out the food for Joe, slipping him bites in between helping Dan play with the Quiet Book and helping John get situated with the markers and paper. One boy on either side of me and one in my lap, perfect. Wait, Dan's crossing to John's side, this only means trouble. He wants to draw, too. John fishes out a green marker and starts coloring. "No! I want a green one!!" Shhh! Whisper, Daniel. Lucky for me there's another green marker. I continue feeding Joe until the Sacrament is over and the first speaker stands up. John and Daniel start fighting over who knows what. A sweet lady and her husband sitting behind me offer to take Joe. Thank goodness! We have some angels in our ward. I distract Dan with a book, then tracing his hand on paper, then coloring it in, then a car, then the Quiet Book... what a short attention span this boy has! I peak up at the speaker... they seem to be talking about testimonies today. Only 9:35?! How can time go so fast before church and so slow during? Joe's moaning, I hand back a few toys. Dan's getting very restless, I convince him to go show the picture of his traced hand to Jack who's sitting in the back. Ahhh, a moment a peace. A few minutes to listen. John starts shuffling between the 4" space at the end of our bench and the wall. It's a snug fit. Dan gets back and think it looks like fun. Joe's being loud, I hand back his binkie. I hear grunting noises and look over. Dan's stuck! I slide over and pull him out by his belt. Pheww, that could have been ugly. A crying boy stuck between the bench and the wall during Sacrament mtg. wouldn't have been pretty. John notices there's marker on his hand and asks if we can go to the bathroom to wash it off. I look at the clock. Only 10 more minutes... let's wait, and we can stop there on our way to Primary. Meanwhile, Dan grabs a marker and draws all over his hand, then comes over to show me and ask if he can go to the bathroom to wash it off. Nice try Dan. Here's a wipe, we can wash it off with that. Apparently the wipe won't do, Dan's having a meltdown under the bench. Should I take him out? Is his melt down too loud? We're saved by the closing song. I collect the markers, paper, cars, and little things that have somehow managed to cover the entire bench and floor around us. We made it! Off to Nursery and Primary, woohoo. And a little one on one time for me and Joe in Sunday School and Relief Society. It's amazing how much I can listen when I've only got one baby in my arms. And I used to think it was hard with one baby! How times change. I head over to pick up Dan and Joe. They both want a treat from the library. Then they both want me to open their candy. I've got two heavy bags in one hand, and Joe in the other, I'll open it when we get to the car. Hurry along, my arm's getting tired. We head outside. A car waits for us as we cross the street. John, Joe and I make it across. I hear a thud and look back. Dan has tripped and is laying spread eagle in the middle of the street. I go over and try to lift him up... a little hard with what I'm already carrying. A lady sees me struggling and comes over to help. She picks up Daniel who apparently doesn't want to be picked up. Can't you see she's trying to help? She puts him down when they're out of the street, and Dan flops back down on the ground to continue his tantrum. I thank her and tell Dan I'll open his candy now. It works, he stops crying and follows me to the car. The kids are in, I'm in, we're off. Another successful Sunday (as in we were on time and we made it through). Until next week!