Just Another Manic Monday

Yesterday was hectic. Here's what happened.

4 a.m. Paul wakes up hungry. I feed him and fall back asleep.

7:15 a.m. Adam's alarm goes off for the umpteenth time and I finally hear it. I jolted out of bed and ran to make coffee.

7:20 a.m. Check e-mail for just a minute.

7:21 a.m. Claire hollers and I hope she goes back to sleep for a few minutes.

7:22 a.m. Coupon cutting ensues.

7:23 a.m. Paul wakes back up and is hungry again. Adam fumbles through the kitchen, ironing his shirt.

7:30 a.m. Claire screams again. I sigh and go get her up.

7:45 a.m. Breakfast commences. En lieu of Bible study, I cut coupons.

8:20 a.m. Adam flies out of the house, late for work.

10:30 a.m. Kids and I are bathed, dressed, and fed. Ready to go shop.

10:45 a.m. We walk into Costco. Claire's bathroom trips = 1

11:15 a.m. We walk into Target. Claire's bathroom trips = 1

Noon We walk into Kroger. Claire's bathroom trips = 3, Spilled milk = 1, Leaking baby food jars = 1, Crying baby = 1, Fights between a toddler and a baby = 3 or 4, Elderly shoppers getting tripped up by a toddler = 3 or 4, Claire squats in the aisle, mimicking going potty = 10

2 p.m. We walk out of Kroger and apologize to Adam for the tardiness of his lunch.

2:10 p.m. Fly into the house, throw lunch together, serve it, throw the kids in the bed for a nap and start putting up groceries.

4 p.m. Get kids up to go to church for two meetings. Several snacks, potty trips, and changes of clothes later, we get in the car at 5:00.

5:02 p.m. Paul starts crying uncontrollably.

5:23 p.m. We pull into the church parking lot and realize we have lost a pacifier.

5:24 p.m. I hand off the kids and drive as fast as I can to Walgreen's.

5:35 p.m. Made it to the first meeting.

6:30 p.m. Nursery workers leave, telling me they weren't booked for the second meeting.

6:35 p.m. I take my kids to the meeting.

6:45 p.m. More nursery workers appear and I am relieved.

8:00 p.m. Dash home, feed Paul immediately, start dinner immediately, get Adam to bathe the kids.

9:10 p.m. Dinner on table.

10 p.m. Kids in bed. Cleanup commences.

11 p.m. Attempt to watch TV with Adam, but collapse within 30 seconds or so.

So tell me...When does the "stay-at-home" mom part start?