5 Texans: Visit to the pediatrician + visit to Target = 3 hours??

I wouldn't believe it myself if I hadn't experienced it this morning. I'm remembering why I'm exhausted all the time. And, why I Never get Anything accomplished. Here's how it all went down...Believe me, I know y'all are at the edge of your seats for this one. Don't worry, Bryan (and Mom), there's a picture...maybe not one you're were dying to see, but it's there all right.

My day started out so nicely...up well before the girls. There is a little nip in the air today, so I brewed some coffee. Which is a rarity for me. We usually have coffee on the weekends since Bryan is home. He makes it and whew, is it strong! I have to add lots of sugar and milk to even get down half a cup.

But, that really has little, if anything to do with this tale. Back on point...

I had a little prayer and devotional time sitting with my warm cup in my comfy chair. Then, right before I walked upstairs to wake the girls, I checked my calendar to make sure I knew what time Libby's appointment was today. Of course, I had it all wrong. Somehow, I got 11:45 etched in my brain when really the appointment was at 10:00. We needed to be on fast forward and that, if you have children, is next to impossible.

So, I woke the girls, threw clothes at Addi (amazingly she didn't whine about the clothes I grabbed), dressed Libby, brushed teeth (Libby's and mine while Addi did her own), did hair (all 3...mine was still wet from the shower an hour and half earlier), fed Logan a bottle, fed the girls breakfast, doled out medicine, strapped all 3 kids into their carseats and backed out of my garage at 9:30...plenty of time if I hit all green lights and sped.

Yes, it takes us entirely too long to get to our pediatricians' office, however, our old house was much closer. Coming from a background of socialized medicine (ie, military medicine), our civilian doctors and their parent-patient friendly practices suit us fine. There are two pediatric practices within 5 minutes from our house, but we are loyal to the first doctors and nurses who treated us so well. Not that there is anything wrong with the doctors and nurses in military hospitals. Rather there is something wrong, quite a lot wrong, with "the way things are done" in those military hospitals.

Again, nothing to do with the tale at hand. Back on point...

Fortunately, I set my watch just a few minutes fast and the clock on my dash about 8 minutes fast and, apparently, our pediatricians set their office clock about 3 minutes slow. In short, we pranced in that office (huffing and puffing from the uphill hike through the parking lot pushing 45 pounds in a double stroller) right on time. Just how I like it :)

We settled into our chairs in the waiting room about the time we heard, "Reagan". Back into the stroller went Libby, back onto the shelf went Addi's book, and back to the exam room went the 4 of us, plus the nurse.

I must say the nurse was an angel...Again not really pertinent to the story. Addi told me she had to go to the bathroom as we followed Nurse Angel down the hall. I told the nurse we would be in the bathroom for the next few minutes if the doctor came looking for us. She said she would watch Libby and Logan while I took Addi. What! Oh, no! I wasn't trying to rope you into my duties...wait, would you mind?! Thanks so much! We'll hurry. And we were back well before the doctor even knew he had a patient waiting on him.

Waaaayy before. We sat in that itty bitty room for 30 minutes. I sat in that itty bitty room with a 4-year old who searched for every book we read every time we're at the doctor's while her little sister insisted on having a different book read to her while sitting by herself in the one of the two chairs not occupied by the 4-year old and the baby, who was perfectly content for about 5 minutes, decided to start screaming, just for fun, mind you, and throwing toys. For. 30. Minutes.

Good news, though. Libby is fine. So glad I broke my rule about never doing follow-up appointments for ear infections since "I would know if their ear is still hurting them!" Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to experience the insanity of 3 children and 1 parent at a doctor's appointment. Again.

About the time I was going to steer my car toward an exit leading to Super Target, I realized in the hustle and bustle of the morning, I left my list at home. Normally I can't remember a thing off my list. This morning I might have ended up screaming in the produce section from the sharp pain that would have been my brain trying to remember something, anything from my list. Instead we headed home. And, good thing since Addi needed to use the bathroom. Again.

My game plan was to pull into the garage, turn off the car, but leave the key in so the music could play, shut the garage door and run inside for my list while Addi ran in to potty. I told her to hurry and come back to the car when she finished. We waited and waited and waited. I impatiently honked my horn (something I am so ashamed to admit since I have been the object of a horn-honking many a Sunday morning by my less-than-patient husband). Then I walked inside and yelled her name. She yelled back that she was going poo-poo and "do not come in here, Mommy! It is stiiiinnnkyyy!"

Thank you for the warning. I'll just be waiting in the car with the two little ones who are more than sick of being strapped to their seats.

We finally made it to Super Target. Wouldn't you know from my short list of 13 items, they'd be out of something?! I'm making chicken burgers from this tonight (thanks, Becky!), so I had to run to another store for the chicken. That amounts to me getting 3 kids out of their carseats and putting 3 kids back into their carseats one more time.

We pulled back into our garge and I felt my tummy rumble. Lunch time. We left the house at 9:30 and got back at 12:30. All I could think about was the laundry I needed to catch up on and how much time was wasted from my day. Well, until I looked out the window to see what Zoe was barking at and saw something dead. More correctly, I should say, something Zoe killed. Yuck...perfect end to an imperfect morning.

So, without further ado, and because I have already wasted enough "laundry time", I present to you the photo of Zoe's kill.