juggling...people

I've had six hours at home by myself with Elizabeth. Let me say first though, "the honeymoon is over." Not in a "I'm over having a baby" kind of way but rather in a "she doesn't just lay in a swing all day" anymore kind of way. Get it? I have to move her from one piece of entertainment equipment to another every few minutes when she tires of jumping or rocking or watching the bubbles or laying on the floor. Then we go for a walk in the neighborhood to look at the birds (while I listen to my ipod so I don't feel the need to fill the quite air with the same nursery rhymes over and over). Finally she takes a nap - a real one - not one of those 20 minute things where I get totally mad b/c I was fooled into starting a project only to hear her crying for me. So, I get as much done as I can during what turns out to be a 2 hour nap (long for sister girl) - balance checkbook, pay bills, wash 10 loads of laundry at least (all day mind you), look at two canvases waiting for me to put a second coat of paint on them (not now but later I tell myself), write e-mails back to people, actually write a status update on face book (darn that face book), fold clothes again, make desert for MOPS meeting, clean boys bedroom and then sit down for lunch and the beginning of LOST that I dvr'd last night. And she wakes up - but that is okay b/c I'm happy for all that was accomplished.
But then the afternoon bell rings and the second part of my day begins. The part where I'm a mother to multiple children. It happens fast that transition from baby momma to referee, coach, teacher, cafeteria worker, maid, janitor, police officer, playmate (I could keep going). I make the kids go outside to play before the storm hits and we have a great time swinging with Elizabeth in my lap and the boys chat it up with me about their day. Then we come inside and the juggling begins. After unsuccessfully trying to get Elizabeth down for a much needed nap and breaking up a fight between the boys playing the PlayStation (tears all around at this point) I pull out the board games. Operation first then Guess who. I'm feeling like an awesome mom. We're watching the weather report as I anticipate an afternoon of tornadoes and hope that Nate gets home soon to relieve me of the sole responsibility of mom of multiple children. At one point Eli is reading a book out loud for school (and wanting me to look at him and the pictures with every word) while I'm still playing Operation with Ian (who also wants me to pay attention to the fact that he only electrocuted the patient three times) and Elizabeth is about to lose it (screaming at me periodically as she is juggled from the floor to my lap in an effort to keep her happy when she really needs to take a nap!) Then to top it all off Nate calls me and says "You won't believe what happened to me this afternoon..." So, I try very hard to listen attentively with all the "oh my" and "that sounds rough" comments I can muster along with "Yes Eli, good" and "My turn Ian - that was a great job" and "It's okay Elizabeth - don't lose it on me"...
But the day is over now and everyone is in a bed (no not their bed but rather ours, together, because it is thundering outside and they are scared - yes, it is 9pm...) but officially the day is over and I made it!