By the numbers

Sometimes life is overwhelming. It's not bad, just more than you expected at one time. I'm thankful that when I woke up on Monday; I didn't know what the rest of the week would hold. I certainly can't tell you about our entire week. Wednesday alone could fill 4 or 5 posts (since I'm so long winded).

Our week by the numbers:

7- Doctor's appointments this week.
6- Doctor's appointments (out of 7) with all five children in tow.
6- Times I've been told by nurses that my kids are very well behaved and get along so well.
20- Pounds that Josiah weighed at his well baby check-up.
1- Shot that the doc convinced me to give him today.
2- Times we were caught going into doctor's offices during a downpour.
4- Times I've been asked if I run a daycare (just this week).
10- Minutes I was stuck outside of the Sunoco restroom with 5 children as I spoke to the beer delivery man about me not running a daycare. Then about which kids were mine. Then about where they came from. Then about whether I was married and if my husband had a really good job. Then about Sally's hair and who would do it later, because "she's probably going to need treatments." Evidently, this particular beer man also runs a salon downtown.
4- Times that my "limp home mode" light came on in my van.
6,000- Miles it's been since I last had my oil changed. Whoops.
4- Hours it took to get my oil changed today. We left the van after I heard the wait time.
3- Blocks from the oil changing guy to our house.
21- Pounds of strawberries we picked with our friends on Wednesday.
9- Pounds of strawberries we brought home. Salomae and I cut and washed all 9 pounds last night.
266-My initial tab at the grocery store Wednesday; it was a record setter. After coupons I spent merely $250.
1.60- My savings per gallon the next time I fill Moby up because of the expensive grocery bill.
3- Visits to the Orthodics office for him to get Salomae's brace 'just right'.
1- Little yellow-Dumbo-covered back brace that now sits in the girl's bedroom alongside a prosthetic leg.
2.52- My total today at the "Old Tyme Candy Shoppe" after allowing each kid to pick out 10 pieces of candy from the bins. Does it seem quaint because two words are misspelled? It was the hot pink exterior and the sign saying "2 cent candy" that drew me in. And the fact that we would be walking past the Longhorn Saloon on our way there. I just adore the smell of urine on a hot, muggy day. Life lessons abound during weeks like this.
30- Minutes in the candy store. Average time spent picking out each individual piece of candy= 3 minutes. That's a long time to hold a 20 pound wiggling baby in small aisles with colorful jars stacked on rickety shelves.

5- Mornings I have managed to get up before everyone else and be alone with God. He's the only reason I made it through the past five days without injuring someone.