Delusionally Tired Mama

Tech week for the show.  For those of you who don't know what that means, it is the last week of rehearsal leading up to the performances where you include the crew, lights, sounds, and costumes.  This is normally an exhausting week.

Monday and Tuesday were actually pretty OK. I didn't have to stick around for the second act of the show, so I was home before 9 each night. Kids slept well, normalcy reigned.

Then came Wednesday. I picked the kids up from daycare and while I was putting Violet's boots on her, she cried out "Ow! My mouf hurts!" and stuck her finger into the wayback part of her right cheek. I looked in there but didn't see anything, and she stopped crying quickly, so I shrugged it off. By the time we drove 8 minutes home, she was crying again, that panicky quick "something really hurts" cry, so I bustled the kids inside to find the thermometer and a flashlight to see if I could figure out what was up.

As soon as we got in the house, Milo had a tantrum because I told him I wasn't going to turn on the Wii because I needed to figure out what was up with Violet. I get a flashlight and still can't see anything in her mouth, so I start rummaging for the thermometer. And looking and looking. I give up when I'm about to pee my pants and run for the bathroom. A few moments after I sit down, Violet comes running and shouting "Frow up! Frow up!"

I think she's going to barf, so I ask her if she is sick.

"No, mommy, Mocha frow up on the floor!" That's the dog. Sigh.

I've only got 30 minutes before I need to leave for rehearsal and Scott's not home yet, so I have two crying children and a barfing dog. I can't find the thermometer and I'm trying to cook supper. He finally arrives home about the time I locate the thermometer and, when I try to take Violet's temperature, so looses it when I touch her right earlobe. Yep, ear infection.

Scott thinks we need to call the doctor to see if we can get her in that night. What does he do? He hands me the phone because I've now got 15 minutes to finish cooking and get into my costume. I call the doctor as I'm cooking and find out there are no appointments left that night. We briefly debate whether or not to take her to a walk in clinic, but I think that since it's already 5:45, they wouldn't get to a clinic until 6:30 at the earliest and would likely not get seen until 9:00 -- waay too late for the kids. I think that we can manage her pain and agree to an afternoon appointment for Thursday (yesterday).  I tell him that I can take her and that I didn't think it was a good idea to have both kids out at a walk-in clinic after bedtime.

I had six bites of food, get into costume and was out the door before they were finished eating. I didn't get back from rehearsal until 10:30 and I pretty much ate a snack and went to bed.

Yesterday: I do my annual Staff Talent Show group dance at lunchtime, then dash across campus to the car so that I can pick Violet up and take her to the doctor. Ear infection confirmed. Pick up prescription, do a little Target browsing, drop Violet back at daycare, finish up the work day and pick up the kids -- neither of whom wants to leave daycare. Fight to get them into the car.

Get home to find Scott has the burn barrel going and there's nasty smoke wafting into the garage and house. Great -- I really want to show up for opening night smelling like a bonfire... The dogs are running loose, too, and only one comes into the house when called. Scott finds the other one eating god knows what in the neighbor's yard. They come in, tracking mud everywhere. Scott spends fifteen minutes trying to figure out where the mop is, what I use on the floor to clean it, etc. He mops while I cook. As soon as he finished mopping, Mocha barfs again and now we know what she'd been eating in the neighbor's yard. Sigh...

Kids eat well and I eat fast so that I can get ready for the show. Naturally, Scott is doodling around on the computer and Milo is playing, so Violet comes into my bathroom to amuse herself -- pulling out every hair product I have, wanting to know if she can wear my make-up, and generally making a mess. Because I have 10 minutes to get out of the house. Milo wander in asking for a glass of chocolate milk. Asking Scott was just too easy, considering he was sitting right next to him. I finish my hair, get dressed, and make Milo's milk. Get to the performance only two minutes after I should have been there.

Hang out for the interminable amount of time until they get to my show. Take the stage confidently because I've had three great rehearsals leading up to opening. Get freakin' lost in the middle of the show, stammer a bit, get back on track but feel like a jackass for biffing a line and frakking up the play. Wait the rest of the interminable evening until the second act is done, do curtain call, and head for home.

I finally drag myself momentarily to bed, but then Violet was up four times. Milo had a coughing spell, and I had to pee. I think I slept about 2.5 hours.