Wednesday, October 31, 2007

adventures - when mom's not home

So you want to know what it's like to have six kids....

A few days ago, I had to take Nicholas to the doctor for yet another re-check for his ears. The doctor said we would be waiting it out for the next six months as to whether or not Nicholas would need tubes in his ears. And since the fluid is only in the left ear, they would have to decide whether or not they would just do one tube or both ears. This waiting crap sucks! In the meantime, I have to check to see if his balance is okay, and I have to call his pediatrican and find out exactly how many ear infections he's had and on what side. We go back in December. More gas, more parking, more waiting, more co-pays. But what else can you do! Thank God we have insurance because we would really be up the proverbal creek without it.

Anyway, the hospital/doctor is over an hour (two with rush hour traffic) away. Rich was home, sleeping off a migraine headache. I took Nicholas, Nathan and Sarah (so she could help out alittle bit, play with Nate, etc. since Rich couldn't come). His appt was for 3:15, I left at 2:30. I had to call them and tell them I would be late. That means we had overlapped the appt time, with the kids getting out of school, supposedly to avoid rush hour. Making me home in time for dinner.

The other kids came home from school between 3 and 3:30. Rich was still sleeping off his migraine. Our kids are perfectly able to take care of themselves. Amanda even babysits for us. So with Rich being home, even sleeping, everything should have been just fine.

Now you know what's coming, right?

The kids always come home hungry and raid the cupboards and fridge the minute they walk in the door. This day wasn't any different. Anthony immediately went on a search for food the minute his feet were in the door. He found some french fries and chicken strips and went about preheating the oven. Well, suddenly the oven lit up in flames. Anthony thought he would handle the situation all by himself and tries to put water on it. Umm, yeah you read that right. And then when that didn't work, he ran outside (oh yeah - outside) and grabbed some peat moss and dirt out of the flower tree thing. What he thought that would do is beyond me. But, when that didn't work, he told Amanda to get their dad. Amanda runs into our bedroom, wakes up Rich tells him what's up and he jumps up and heads for the kitchen. Rich opens the cupboard looking for the salt, of course the container's empty. He then looks under the sink for the fire extinguisher. It's not there, big surprise. He yells at Amanda to get one out of his workshop. When she gets back with the fire extinguisher, Rich quickly gets the fire out.

Imagine my surprise when I got home with one baby who pretty much cried the whole way home, an older child (who was supposed to be helping) sleeping in the back seat, and one more precious little boy (that would be Nicholas) who had puked halfway home and all over the seat of the van.

Now, I have six children and a broken oven. Nice that it will need to be replaced right around Christmas time, huh? Rich went out and bought a toaster/convection oven to use in the meantime.

There are plenty of adventures that go on around this house, with or without mom. Now, doesn't that make you want to go out and have six perfectly precious children of your own?

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