My Busy, Hectic, So Good, Wonderful Day

Lately, doing service has given me something similar to a drug-induced high. Not that I would know what that's like, except for the time I took Tylenol 3 after having my wisdom teeth removed.

Anyways, it's 9:16, and my day is just about over, but up until maybe six minutes ago, it worked out that I was able to do things for others from sun-up on, and just like Jesus says, to paraphrase, it feels so good.

And just for visual stimulation in this post, here's one person I was able to serve, who is the cutest thing ever, and not even mine, but I love her so much, and even more so when I serve her, I think because I have opportunity to serve her...

So here's how my day went.....

6:15 Wake up to Baby Hippo climbing on top of me. Nurse said Hippo.

6:45 Have scripture study with the four oldest kids

7:something: Take 11-year-old boy to band

7:something else: Take 15- and 16-year-olds to school, along with one of their friends

7:50 Take a shower and blow-dry hair

8:something: Take 9-year-old girl to school (P.S. Each school trip includes loading the 4 four and under into the 15-passenger van.)

9:00 Apply make-up, do laundry, and get the 4-year-old boy ready for school

9:something: Take 4-year-old boy to school

9:45 Host "Happiness" School. It's pretty much the same as joy school, but since our boys didn't know what joy meant, we started calling it "Happiness" school and it stuck. This was one of my favorite parts of the day because one of the moms stayed and visited and we had an excellent talk. The time went by entirely too fast. This friend also offered to pick up the 4- through 11-year-olds at school and feed them lunch as I had a chorus practice at the high school.

11:45 Start a lunch of mac 'n' cheese for the twins and teenagers who would be arriving home later

12:00 Greet the babysitter at the door, give her instructions on how to finish up the mac 'n' cheese, hope she understood my broken Spanish, then head to the high school for the chorus rehearsal

12:20 Accompany the chorus on the piano

1:00 Return home, relieve the babysitter, go pick up the kids at afore-mentioned friend's house, remembering to bring her a package of cream cheese for her cinnamon rolls

1:40 Take teenagers back to school for quartet practice

1:50 Return home to do laundry and various housework

3:05 Wake up Baby Hippo before picking up kids from school, then realize that today was not early release day, so rock with Baby Hippo until he wanted to get down and play

3:25 Drive to school to pick up 9- and 11-year-olds

4:00 Encourage kids to fix their after-school snacks, then clean their parts of the kitchen

4:30 Greet the babysitter at the door again, then head out for another music group practice

5:45 While playing the keyboard at practice, begin wondering if afore-mentioned friend will be bringing her four kids over for me to babysit while she and her husband attend the temple, as per my invitation (P.S. This would be the first time they would leave the 5-month-old baby....ever), then remember that I have a piano recital to attend to support one of my piano students, oh, and the 15-year-old boy, who never mentioned it to me, hoping that I would forget

6:00 Return home to start dinner while 11-year-old boy cares for Baby Hippo, 15-year-old boy plays basketball with the twins and 4-year-old, and 9-year-old girl helps in the kitchen

6:15 Receive call from afore-mentioned friend that she and her husband would indeed be dropping off their kids in ten minutes

6:20 Make blender pancakes while a friend who stopped by to talk to the 16-year-old girl about a musical performance helps the 9-year-old girl with long division while holding the 4-year-old boy on his shoulders....while he waits for my neighbor to return home to speak with her. Thank you, K___!

6:45 Stuff down 2 pancakes, then receive afore-mentioned friend's kids, which friend says that the baby will probably cry all night

7:00 Assign oldest of afore-mentioned friend's children to keep on eye on her siblings and the 4-year-old boy outside in the play house, then encourage the 16-, 15-, 11-, and 9-year-olds to clean their parts of the kitchen

7:10 Take twins, Baby Hippo, and friend's baby into bathroom, then bathe them

7:20 Ask 9-year-old girl to finish bathing twins, ask 11-year-old boy to watch friend's baby outside in her seat while he jumps on the trampoline, then dry Baby Hippo off, lotion him up, get him dressed for bed, nurse him, read him scriptures in a soft, low, soothing voice (By the way, I've been told that I have a very soothing voice, which is good at putting people to sleep. I don't know if that is a compliment, but it comes in handy when putting a baby to bed.)

7:30 Check on 11-year-old boy caring for friend's baby and let him know that I'll be ten more minutes getting the twins to bed

7:35 Get twins out of the bath, into their sleepers, cuddle with them under the covers while we read one column of The Book of Mormon, then Who is My Mommy?, then Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You?, then bribe them to race to their beds with gummy bear vitamins, then tuck them in, then hold their hands while we say a prayer, then let them kiss my hands, then say good night

7:50 Yell across the house to the 15-year-old boy that I hope he has his church clothes on because it's time to go to the recital. He did.

7:55 Put a movie on for remaining children, then grab friend's baby and 15-year-old boy and head to said recital

8:00 Listen to recital while rocking friend's baby, listening, completely in awe of the fact that my student performed a piece which originally seemed far beyond his capabilities to play, but with diligent practice he successfully learned it and it was beautiful. You can listen to one version HERE.

8:45 Return home to the kids still watching the movie, then ask the 16-year-old girl to sing Pie Jesu while I accompany her, just for fun, as my friend's baby listens in her seat

9:00 Take friend's baby out of her seat and outside for some fresh air just as her parents drive up, then explain to them that she never cried once and give them every detail of what we did and how good she was

9:20 Receive a call from John (he's out of town) and tell him about my day, then knock on next-door neighbor's door to tell them about my day also and ask them if they want to hear the 16-year-old girl and me perform Pie Jesu. They say yes.

9:22 Perform Pie Jesus

9:40 Play cards with said neighbors while having a discussion about the Atonement, personal revelation and husbands washing dishes

10:45 Blog my busy, hectic, so good, wonderful day

11:20 Pick up and nurse Baby Hippo back to sleep

11:45 Pick up and rock Baby Hippo back to sleep

11:55 Hope Baby Hippo will stay asleep

12:09 Publish blog post

Thanks for listening!

P.S. I'm finally getting skinnier!
See how I'm doing it HERE! :)