Candid Camera?

Do you ever feel like you belong on I Love Lucy?

I've been working on cleaning out things we aren't using bit by bit.  I had compiled a nice stack of books to take to the used bookstore.

First, all the books didn't fit in the box I had, so I put some in a backpack.  Next, the box I put the books in didn’t fit in the back of the van, so I put them in the passenger’s seat. Then I had to get the stroller in, since I couldn’t carry the box, a full backpack, and Ellie.

I asked the kids to get the green diaper bag, but then I remembered that I had moved the diapers to the smaller black bag because we didn’t take Ellie into the service on Sunday, so we didn’t need all the toys to distract her. Nate cries because he wanted to carry the diaper bag to the car, but he had the green one and Gabby beat him to the black one.

We are finally on our way out the door, after everyone has on day clothes, shoes, and has freshly tinkled. As I’m locking the door, Nate begins to wail—it turns out he and Gabby were racing to get to open the van door. I get down two steps and he gets to me, bleeding. Of course, I had already successfully locked both the deadbolt and the knob, since we are using the front door due to the 400 lbs. of concrete sitting in the garage for the swing set.

I pick up the baby, head inside, and convince Nate to sit down while I fetch the things to treat his, rather wide, but thankfully not deep scrape. I ask him if he wants to try again. He does.

We get to the book store. I unpack the stroller, put the baby in it—brakes on. Get the books out, brakes off and I have to verbally coach Kate on driving the stroller, including not jumping the curb when there is a ramp right there.

We drop off the books, return to the car to drop off the box, my backpack, and the stroller, so I can wear Ellie in the Moby wrap, since she’s much more likely to stay happy that way. Kate can’t find my wallet I asked her to retrieve from my backpack, because she’s looking in the diaper bag. And I can’t remember how to fold the stroller back down. I have the baby strapped to me and my three older children trying to help by putting the brakes on. Ha! I figured it out shortly, but we must have been a sight.

The old books are out of the house and the store credit we got almost covered the cost of what we picked up. Since you can't leave without buying something, right?  Ha!