That Terrible, Horrible, No Good, VERY Bad day!

I alluded to our trip back to Fort Worth in one of my recent posts and I think I have recovered enough to share it with the world.

Dan had a really big paper due and I was worried about him driving because I knew just how much sleep he had gotten in the past few days. His mother and I were praying that he would let me and the girls help him out by driving him. We had big plans. We were going to visit the Museum before our membership ran out and then spend the afternoon at the GerltHouse. We were pumped!! To prepare for this big endeavor I got all of the girls clothes ready the night before. I packed lunches for everyone and decided it would be best if we just got the girls up and put them right in the car in their pjs. I was hoping they might fall back to sleep because it was 5:15 when we pulled out of the driveway.

We made a quick stop for some coffee for the driver and breakfast for the clan. When I got back in the van I noticed that the lights and the dash lights were flickering a little. I asked Dan what he thought and if I should worry but we decided to keep moving. This was before we had even left Iowa Park! So I am praying that it stops and it does. But my mind is going over all the things my Dad told me about cars. I knew flickering lights was a bad thing....the alternator....the battery....what else could it be? We just spent TONS of money fixing the transmission. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!!! Anyway we start on our journey. The girls do not sleep. Olivia eventually screams herself into oblivion and we all get a little peace. Dan is catching some shut eye as well. His big plan was to skip his 8 o'clock, which was risky because he might have a presentation due that day, but he had to finish this paper and it was a risk he had to take. So we were going to drop him off at the library to finish writing this paper.

We made it to I-35 and were about 30 min. from the Seminary when the lights started going crazy and then.................nothing. The van died! OH, DEAR LORD! I pull over and decided to try and start it up again. IT STARTED! HALLELUIAH!! We made new plans.

The new plan was to try to get to the dodge dealership that we are now financing thanks to all the work they have done on our van. Then call our dear friend to rescue us. We make it to the dealership with no more trouble and I shakily exit said vehicle. I am not sure what caused the shaking;the coffee, lack of sleep, or the circumstances. Anyway, they assure us that they can at least figure out what the problem is so we start to gather up our day full of stuff and I realize I have children still in their pjs. OH, and while I am gethering up our junk I realize I forgot to bring shoes for FaithLyn! At that point I looked at Dan who was working on the other side of the van and said, "Dan, we are white trash!" His always delicate reply? "Kel, we are what we are!" Not the reassurance I was hoping for.

SO I carry the children into the bathroom and get them dressed and carry FL back to the waiting area. Dan is starting to look a little sick. I call Erin to see if there is any way possible she could come and pick us up. Luckily it was Chad's day off so we just had to wait for him to come home from playing b-ball so he could keep the kids, otherwise we wouldn't all fit. So we began our wait. Dan was looking pretty miserable at this point. And a man came in and asked if anyone needed a ride in the courtesy van. I told Dan to go and get started on his paper. He reluctantly left us there. But I assured him that Erin was coming soon.

I am trying to corral three little kids and I look up 2 hours later and see a gray van sitting out in the parking lot. It looks very much like our van. I walk to the window and yes, it looks very much like our van. I take a few steps outside...It IS our van!? I wonder how long it has been waiting here. I take Olivia back to the shop to find out what is going on and leave the girls under strick orders to stay seated or ELSE! Yep, it's our van and it's all fixed. The mechanic thought we had all left. HE obviously did NOT look in the waiting room. Anyway, Praise the Lord, it was just a dirty battery cable causing a bad connection and the mechanic caught it before he did all the tests so he saved us a bit of money!! THANK YOU, LORD! I called Erin real quick and told her to turn around and head back home, apologizing profusely.

Dan gave me the cell phone (church cell) just in case and I gave him Erin and Chad's number because I knew the cell number would be long distance. Sure enough I got a call from Chad that Dan was trying to get in touch with me. I gathered up my crew and carried FL to van. I kept trying the number Chad gave me to no avail while I headed to the Seminary. We got there and got the girls in the stroller and went to the phone I hoped Dan was trying to reach us from. We walked up right behind him before he saw us and as soon as he saw us I saw color come back to his face. Poor thing. He must have been so worried about us. I filled him in and handed over his lunch. I soon found out that he had been so worried about us that he had worked himself into a stomach fit. This has happened once before and now I know it is stress related. But as soon as he knew we were out of danger he felt immediately better.

I then took the girls to Target to find FL some shoes. Luckily I had some socks left over from who knows when and it wasn't quite so noticable that she didn't have shoes on. But I made the mistake of letting her get her very first pair of flip flops. I forgot that you have to learn to walk in flip flops. They were cause of quite a bit of frustration for both FL and myself!

But we ventured on! On to the Museum. At this point I thought we were in the clear! We played and had a fun time at the museum for about 45 mins. We were finishing up in the downstairs play area with the water play. They have these nifty aprons that keep the kids dry. Well, I look over at Olivia and she is pouring water and because of how she is pouring it 95% is running down her arm right through the arm hole. Right as I notice this and get up to go inspect the damage Elise gives me that deer caught in the headlights look. I know what it means but Do NOT want to admit to myself. Sure enough...She had an accident. This is so very rare for her. She has had a total of maybe 6 accidents. But it happened none the less. I take off her apron and send her to the stroller. She doesn't move though. She is paralyzed. I carry her to the stroller while Olivia pours about 3 more gallons of water down her arms and legs. By the time I get to her she has a tiny dry strip of clothing in the exact same spot that Elise is wet. Hmmm...the irony just isn't funny to me yet.

At this point I congratulate myself for deciding the night before NOT to bring an extra outfit for the girls because, I mean, really, what could happen!??

At this point I wish I could say I was calm and understanding and we all laughed at the kind of day we have had so far. No, there was not one ounce of graciousness left in me! We made our way out of the museum FAST! FaithLyn was whimpering somewhere behind me trying to keep up. I wasn't too worried about her because I could here her shuffling in those stupid brand new flip flops. I wasn't going to leave her!! I promise. But I wasn't slowing down either! We made it to the car and I think I was the only one not crying well, it took Olivia a while to catch on but she got the picture when I yanked her out of the stroller and shoved her in the van. I got in the van and closed the door so that my . . .lack of control. . .couldn't be seen by everyone. I didn't spank anyone, I didn't touch anyone but I wasn't speaking quietly. FaithLyn is worried that we aren't going to get to have our picnic and is asking about every 5 seconds. I told everyone to sit down and be quiet until I could figure out what everyone was going to wear. So, everyone is crying again and this time I am included in that group. I strip off all the soiled and wet clothes. Thank goodness we had at least worn our pjs that morning so I put the pull-up back on Elise and put FL's pj t-shirt on Olivia. It was almost long enough to look like a dress. Elise put on her pj pants and we all got buckled in.

I pulled it together enough to realize how unreasonable I was being and I prayed and apologized to the girls and we set out for our picnic. We were going to go to Trinity Park. It's right on the Trinity river and is lots of fun. But first I have to get gas and stop for drinks. I find a gas station and fill up the van but the store part was locked up!! AT NOON ON A MONDAY??? SO we find another gas station and I run in for drinks and wait in a line while I pray that our van doesn't get stolen with my children in it! Finally we are on our way to the park. You will not believe this....THE PARK WAS CLOSED!! This huge public park was CLOSED! WHAT!?? There was one little side rode that open right parallel to the busy street that intersects with I-30. Not the most ideal place to have a picnic but at this point... I didn't even care. We pulled over and spread the girls sleeping blankets for our meal. That's when the birds came scavenging. Once I could convince the girls that the birds would not hurt us we ate our lunch and even got to read a book I had brought for this very purpose. It was even about birds. I was trying to focus on the good things no matter how small!

We finished our meal and headed over to the Gerlthouse for a fun afternoon. Well, the kids had fun. I wasn't the best company I am afraid. But Erin is always so good to listen to me and she never tells me what a dope I am! We finally leave to head back to Seminary to pick Dan up from his class and that's when I really start worrying about him. What if he fell asleep in the library, what if he didn't finish his paper, what if he got sick again.....

But he didn't. He finished his paper and got it turned in. But once I saw him and he said it was finished, I lost it. The floodgates were loosed! We ate at Chick-fil-A and made it home with out any further distrubances. But WHAT A DAY!

It is still hard for me to think about so I doubt that I will check this for errors. Just give me a little grace. I finally feel like now that I have posted this I can move on. So forgive me if I move on immediately!