Snap.

Today has been... rocky for me. I guess it started last night when I tossed and turned in bed for well over an hour before falling asleep. I even put my compression socks on to try to help the situation. True, this isn't all that uncommon for me (the not sleeping, that is), but it seems to be getting worse lately. Enter, this morning, 4:48. Brooks wakes up. I go and put his paci in his mouth and comfort him till he's quiet. Then I do that five more times over the course of the next hour or so. I feed him and hope that will lull him to sleep. It didn't. So 7:00 found the two of us sitting together, me with a dazed look and a cup of coffee, him with a big gummy grin. Sigh.

The girls got up shortly after. I got them their drinks and breakfast. I lugged a clearly-tired boy around. I tried to put tired boy down for a nap. No dice.

At 8:45, I couldn't really take it anymore, so I told the girls that we were going somewhere. "Somewhere" was apparently the beginning of the end.
Riley: Where are we going?
Me: I don't know.
Riley: But can you tell me where?
Me: I would, honey, but I'm not sure.
Riley: (starting to lose it) But can you tell me when I'm snapped in?
Me: I really would, Riley, but I don't know where we're going.  I just needed to get Brooks in the car, so maybe he'll sleep.
Riley: BUT CAN YOU TELL ME?!
Me: Yes.  As soon as I figure it out, I'll tell you.
Riley:  While you're driving?
Me: Yes.
Riley: When we're in the car?
Me: Yes.
Riley: But I'm tired!
Me: Do you want to go home and sleep?
Riley: (bellowing) Noooo!
Me:  But you're tired?
Riley: I want to sleep somewhere else!
Me:  We can't sleep somewhere else... just at home.
Riley: (inconsolable tears)

I swear to you that I really, truly did keep my cool this whole time.  Even though the tears didn't stop, no matter what I said.  And even though Brooks was STILL AWAKE!  What?!

We ended up going to Trader Joe's, where Noelle almost lost it when I didn't let her fill her cart with veggie chips.  Then Riley almost lost it when I let Noelle put one bag of veggie chips in her cart.

We headed home.  This was around 10:00.  That makes it over five hours since Brooks woke up.  He was still awake.  Then... he fell asleep.  For 10 minutes.  Then we got home and he woke up.

I unloaded the groceries, and we headed over to this little children's consignment shop where I was going to deliver my old fall and winter clothes, which I had just washed and folded nicely yesterday.

We get there and I lug in a filled-to-the-brim Rubbermaid and an equally full paper bag of kids' clothes.  A nice lady held the door open for me because try to picture me with a Rubbermaid on my hip, a bag perched precariously on the stroller, one little man trying to kick said bag off and two little girls swirling and twirling around while Mom tries to pull the stroller with her pinky.  We finally get in the door and I bring the clothes over to the counter where I am quickly informed that they're closed for clothing until the Fall/Winter switch, which is July 3rd.

Outside, I  maintain control.  Inside, I'm pretty sure I actually felt something snap.  I said, "Okay!  We'll come back then!" and I went back to the kids, still lugging our clothes.  The girls wanted to play with every toy in the store, but I had just lost my last ounce of will, so I told them it was time to go, and I REALLY needed them to listen because it was really hard for Mommy to get everyone and everything to the car.

We walked out and my bag of beautifully folded, freshly laundered clothes ripped and sent its entire contents tumbling into the street.  I felt the tears start welling up.  But I quickly chucked the Rubbermaid in the car, corralled the kids in, told Riley that "I don't care if you want to stay; we have to go" (not my best moment), grabbed the clothes in a big armful (though I was tempted to just leave them) and left. 

And that is how I ended up standing in the kitchen, stirring mac and cheese for the girls and scarfing three hummus, wild rice and avocado wraps (I realized that I forgot to put the chicken in when I was 2 wraps deep.  Dang it.). 

Please, tell me that the kids will nap for the next 8 hours.  Please.