"Busy"

P, that would be my husband, boarded an international flight Tuesday morning after much agony and grief over his travel arrangements. Now a full day and a half later both sets of grandparents are sure its time to call in reinforcements. We are pretty much handling it pretty well though. Mom stayed last night. 7:00am I tiptoed out of the house to tackle the mess of 6 inches of snow and a very slippery driveway.
After the search for salt- sand was our last resort. Over an hour later I pulled up to that dag gon daycare center and jumped out of the care-ready to shovel. As the parents arrived to school for our late opening I waved to appear jolly about shoveling the snow and clearing the drive and walk ways for their convenience.
On Monday I cooked two days meals to set myself "ahead" of schedule, in some grand scheme of things. As expected, two days later it didn't even matter. If I could both wash and fold three more loads of laundry, cook dinner-one or two days worth, and get to church to set up a new sacrificial offering in the financial database I would yet again feel a bit more "ahead"-instead of the normal status behind and busy.
Plan this week is to utilize our new "family calendar". We'd get the chance to color and picture code all of our plans and even lay out our bills and other financial commitments. Chances are with the few minutes I used to type now...I'm burning away valuable time- it may not happen with that whole calendar idea. 10:07pm my mother asks-"what time did you get off work and back home?". At this point we are whispering because all of the children are asleep. I looked at her and said cheerfully, "I got home early-like 4:30pm", she then asked "and you've been going ever since"- I followed her eyes she was looking at the staff uniform I still had on. (One moment- a baby is crying-if I listening carefully I'll know which baby and why-oh! that's a wake up cry- up from a nap!) After that comment I sort of looked away (crash-bang- my daughter is trying to sweep again and she is knocking everything over with the too-long-for-her handle!- "Stop it") anyway....I looked away and said out loud-"yeah, I guess I have". I just keep moving and doing and the time flies by because we are so busy all the time- even just in the house.
"How are the kids?" , the universal question, when greeted by even a relatively familiar stranger. Everyone asks how they are not because it matters but simply because they remember that I am the chick with two sets of twins! Ha! "Busy"- my universal answer.