If I have to issue ONE MORE TIME OUT…

Our new renters moved in on Thursday. They live in our basement MIL appartment, it’s a great space and they’ve been really excited.

I doubt they’re feeling so excited right about now.

It’s like someone turned on the overdrive volume switch around here. I swear, I’ve never seen Harrison melt down so many times in a single day, and it’s now been going on for 48 hours. And Rex…that kid has the loudest voice on Planet Earth. They could do a documentary about his voice.

Do you know how hard it is to use my Quiet Voice (which isn’t very quiet) when my kids are holding a blow torch to the last few threads of my rope? I can tell you right now, these people think we’re 1. the worst parents with 2. the worst children. They have one baby, nine months.

THEY HAVE NO IDEA.

The worst part (aside from me having the flu and feeling like crap)? Today was our Big Budget Meeting. That means that Jason and I (who hardly ever fight about money) had to sit down this morning and hammer out seven pages (SEVEN PAGES) of expenses. Do you have any idea what that does to a marriage, especially when there are three screaming children constantly interrupting the already heated budget meeting?

I would rather flush my piddly amount of cash down the toilet than relive this mornings frustration and chaos. And I’m seriously doubting the smarts behind our whole “fourth child” plan. What are we thinking?

The good news is that Jason just left with all three kids to spend the day down with his family, thus giving me a few hours to recoup and sleep this off.

Do you think it’s possible to sleep off three kids?


Comments

  1. No, it’s not possible. But you can get a shred of sanity back. 🙂 Good luck.

  2. Yeah, I forgot about the renters during your telephone vent. I bet they’re already able to identify the voices of all your children…

  3. You know what? I don’t think you can sleep them off. There is a chance that you can forget about them for the term of the nap, though. Jen’s recent dream post is evidence that they sometimes creep their way in there too,though. RUDE.

  4. Man…today has been bad here too. Stressing out about moving and packing and cleaning all with a clingy sick baby that stands and cries and wipes his snot on my knees cries if I hold him cries if I put him down while big sister thinks he needs a hug but he doesn’t want her to touch him with a 10 foot pole……

    AAAHHH…I kinda want o go climb in a hole for a while….a long while.

    My husband went out for a while..but he didn’t take any kids with him….

    I also hate talking about money….It depresses me and frustrates me to no end….It shouldn’t be that way because I know that I am helping by taking care of the kids instead of dumping them in daycare and going to work. My job as a Mother is just as important as his job.

    I could go on and on….I’ll save you and not share it…..now where’s that hole…it’s buried here somewhere…

  5. You can’t sleep off three kids, but you might get a little control of yourself, be able to recoup a little. Good luck, and don’t worry about the renters, think of it as a service to them. You’re teaching them what its really like to have three kids. You’re preparing them! What a good person you are! 😀

  6. My # of kids I want is dwindling too. I wanted 5, now it’s down to 4, and the other day I told Adam we’re down to 2 until further notice.
    Oh and I bought and read Bright Blue Miracle. I loved it. Thanks.

  7. annie valentine says:

    Katie, if it’s any consolation, when I had Harrison I wanted 10. Kids. To feed and clothe and put in time out.

    Baby #4 will be lucky to squeak in here at the end.

    And Bree, bless you. And hey, at least he’s not biting your inner thigh and his sibling’s not beating him with that ten foot pole. That’s what would be happening in my house.

  8. I’ve spent a large part of this day wondering why in the world we ever thought baby #3 was a good idea. But the bun’s in the oven and there’s no backing out now.

  9. Good luck. Everything will be better once you feel better and you’ve had some sleep. (Until the kids come back, anyway…)

  10. I don’t know what I would do if we had renters living in our basement. First of all, we don’t have a basement, so the situation might be a little tricky. And secondly I am an awesome yeller. It’s a necessity to be heard over the cacaphony that my children emit, or also when I am out of patience. It would be truly horrifying to have witnesses…

  11. p.s. I see that you got the button to work – YAY!

  12. sounds like you need a little R&R at the first annual Bachelor party!! See you…tomorrow!

  13. I LOVE the line of “holding a blow torch to your last rope” (laughing) I can see it all —not a good mix, mommy sick with the flu, the dreaded “budget meeting” and screaming noisy kids. ICKES.
    But, you may not believe me, you can’t sleep off 3 kids –enjoy the break —but YOU NEVER GET TO SLEEP OFF THE KIDS—even when they are older. Screaming, noisy kids becomes a coveted wish compared to when they get older and you deal with “serious” problems that may be effecting their lives. Being a mom is a life long sentence —I MEAN BLESSING. (meant that)

  14. Kim Haynes says:

    Wendy was right being a mom is a life long sentence or blessing depending on the day and or crisis. Being a mom is the best thing in my life and the worst thing at times. Some days I laugh till I almost pee my pants and some days I cry buckets. So get any sleep you can and don’t pray for patience.

  15. Yes, it is possible to sleep children off… for five seconds.

  16. Ouch! I’m sorry. That’s all I can say. I’m so, so sorry.

  17. Oh, and I forgot to say that I LOVED your column this week. The funny thing is, I used to have this little game that I played. I thought that famous people must either A. Be sick of people freaking out over them or B. Love people freaking out over them and have a gigantic ego that needs to be taken down a notch or two. So, I wanted to run into someone famous & pretend like I had no idea who they were and treat them like Jo-Shmoe. One night Dustin & I went out to a club in Seattle and there was a ROOM FULL of famous athletes. I think it was Gary Payton’s birthday party or something. So, I played a few games of pool against Gary and his friends and made this crazy effort to act like I had never heard of them. Finally, one of them said, “You don’t know who I am?” like that just wasn’t possible. I couldn’t lie, so I just shrugged and said, “I’ve heard your name before, but I could care less about sports.” Then, I laughed maniacally in my head. I’m entertained by the wierdest things. It would have been WAY funner if it was a sitcom star or a red carpet-er though.

  18. annie valentine says:

    Great story, Nat. I will learn from your example.