We have not had the most stellar day at our house.

As I was driving to school, I got a call from my friend (and oldest son's teacher). Her son had forgotten his lunch and backpack...and our school doesn't have a cafeteria. So, I dropped off the older kids and headed to her house to retrieve his backpack.

I looped around and dropped the baby off at a friend's house, signed in at the school, dropped off the forgotten backpack and lunch and started my usual Wednesday volunteer gig (paper grading and data entry for the teacher).

About an hour into my work, the phone rings. The baby is NOT happy...could I come and get him. Sigh.

I pack up, and on the way out find my kindergartener in tears...she's forgotten HER lunchbox and it's snack time. Double sigh. I run to my friend's classroom, grab her a snack out of the stash in the filing cabinet (it's great to have friends at the school), and run to the baby's rescue while phoning my husband for backup in the lunchbox retrieval department.

With that crisis averted, I take the baby home. He's off his schedule and rather hacked at me for leaving him with a strange sitter. I just think I've got him settled down when the school calls...

The five year old has decided that she didn't like the way her bangs felt today (she's growing them out--HER choice, I might add here) and gave herself a new 'do when she was supposed to be cutting out Humpty Dumpty.

[A funny aside here...it seems that most of our school's staff share my love of scrapbooking. The teacher and her assistant saved the shorn locks in a ziploc bag (ahh..NOW I know why they were on the supply list), as they were sure that this story would make a "great page". Scarily enough, the thought had already occurred tome!]

Did I mention that the baby wasn't really down? No, he wanted all mama, all the time.

You know, two children ago, this day probably would have made me cry. These days, all I can do is laugh and revisit the wisdom that my third child offered up one grumpy afternoon at the tender age of three:

"I need a bath...and some CHOCOLATE".

Enter my knight in shining armor, home early to help me fight the battles of the day. I am married to the most lovely man :-). It's amazing what effect twenty minutes without the baby, two adults on homework duty, and a well-deserved dinner out can have on everyone's temperament (not just Mom's!). Once again, love and grace triumph over chaos.

At least until tomorrow.

Thank you, Lord, for a strong partner in my parenting. Thank you for the gift of laughter that can triumph over tears, and for your Lordship over even the most chaotic days. Oh, and thank you that hair grows back!