Mayhem at Macys

Boy has it been a day and a half. I am just exhausted mentally. Oliver is going through something digestive and it has upset his routine. He has also decided he hates his car seat and has been screaming in it for a large chunk of the day.
After getting the kids on the bus, I set out to find a cheap CD player for Spencer for his birthday on 8 May. You have no idea how hard thay are to find. He will only be 7 and has not been very responsible with his things as yet. I eventually found one but it was too close to carpool time to go back home before setting out. So Oliver did spend a long time in the carseat. From about 9am-12pm. By the time I picked up my two little boys, Oliver screamed for the entire run. He was catatonic by the time I got him home. One of my sweet little charges kept saying "it's okay Oliver" over and over until he eventually realized he was getting nowhere and gave up.
By the time I calmed him down it was visiting teaching time. He would fall asleep for a few minutes here and there during the day but didn't sleep for one decent stretch at all. Once visiting teaching was done for the day, it was time to embark on the return carpool journey. Cue more screaming. The air conditioning was inexplicably not working and it was more than 70 degrees out which in Colorado Springs is even hotter because of the sun. My boys must have thought they were in the Twilight Zone. I can't deal with Oliver crying. To me it's the most upsetting sound in the world. I was turning up the tunes to try and drown him out. I forgot to turn the speakers off in the back and so there were my three five year old boys sweating their tushies off while being blasted by dance music.
Gary and I had made plans to go to Macy's when he got home from work to look at their furniture. We need a few things and he has a 25% company discount there. Well we arrived at the store with all 4 kids in tow (what was I thinking?). Gary was carrying Oliver and as soon as Gary sat down on a couch, Oliver started screaming again. And he wouldn't stop. The other three were running around in there like wild things, jumping on beds, throwing themselves at expensive leather sectionals, climbing on displays etc... The mature sales associate looked a little shellshocked at what was occuring in her department. We grabbed a few flyers and tried to look around before we could no longer ignore just how embarrassing we were actually being and decided to leave.
On the way out I was so cross with the kids that I refused to tell them what I was cooking for dinner, an inquiry that I get every single afternoon as soon as the kids walk in the door from school. The answer is usually met with various reactions including disgust or disappointed sighs and I WASN'T in the mood. So Leia called Gary and I "stupidheads" when we were out of earshot which Spencer helpfully reported to us. She then tried to do that thing you do in school when caught gossiping about someone and you say "I was talking about someone else". Yeah right!
Once home we had the usual homework issues. Leia hardly ever takes responsibilty for her homework and we have to micro-manage her or it won't get done and she won't care. I feel like I am back in school sometimes. There was crying and wringing of hands.
During dinner, Oliver started screaming again. At this point he had just not had a decent enough nap to be able to cope with his little life any longer. I ate my dinner at the speed of light (oh for the days of quiet relaxing dinners) and popped him in the bath where he speedily regained a bit of good humor thankfully and after one last feed was out like a light by 6pm. I usually put him down at 7pm in order to avoid super early mornings but he seems to be making his own schedule and about 5pm is the point where he has had enough and needs his bedtime routine to begin.
Just for fun we put the others to bed at 6pm as well. I simply couldn't take any more stimulation from my wonderful children. I need Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert and lots and lots of chocolate!

On a lighter note, here are some shots of Oliver. He turned three months old yesterday and despite the screaming could not be any cuter.