Fire, snot and tears.

Ok, so the other day things got busy and I ended up with all three boys here while the weather was less than perfect and all the kiddies have been feeling under it. I couldn't put all those runny noses in a stroller to go get R, so T's mom came over a bit early to hang out before going to get R for me.

True to her anxiety disorder, she showed up a good hour early and spent her time smooching the baby while Monkey was sleeping and J was snacking and watching TV in the playroom. About ten minutes before T's mom needed to go get R, she started following me around the kitchen asking if she should go yet.

The school is seriously within two minutes' walking distance from our front door if you walk really slowly.

I was loading the dishwasher, texting and hand washing pots and pans while reassuring her she had time to spare, when the smell of smoke filled the kitchen.

I stopped washing dishes and took a gander at the dishwasher I had just started, and sure enough, smoke was pouring from it.

Still, I had the queen of overreacting standing behind me, so I just turned it off and pretended that was totally normal and returned to the sink until she left for the school.

Once she was gone, I frantically turned off the water and assessed the kitchen fire situation. But first, because this is the technology generation, I texted about it.

Nothing was actually on fire that I could see, but the dishwasher let a new burst of smoke into the room when I opened it up to inspect.

Finally, the dishwasher that has needed replacing since I started here, had kicked it.

I danced with joy and then closed it up again before T's mom came back.

E came home early that night so I could go out. I told him the "bad" news as I ran out the door.

Our other bad news this week: the contractor continues to tell us dates to begin our renovation and then never shows up, the refrigerator has been deemed unrepairable by GE, but we have yet to find a replacement unit and we have a time limit to do so, which we are going to miss if the renovation doesn't start, because that fridge BARELY fit into this house and we need the new door that is going to be added to the kitchen, in order to get the new fridge.

So, my kitchen is in a state of disarray and EVERYTHING that had been stashed in the mudroom is now all over the place.

Both mothers have been asking me what's going on and I don't want to be the one to tell them, so I stay busy and run out of the room whenever they are here.

But I had so much time off this week, that I can't really complain.

And I had another run-in with New Nanny and I continue to thank the Lord that I am not in her shoes.

Tonight I am working late, and since everybody still has sniffles, this requires me to run up and down the stairs at least four times an hour. The bigger three went down ok, and I turned on a space heater in Monkey's cold room, hoping to boil his cold out of him. He hasn't coughed at all, so I think it's working.

Little Munchkin, however, HATES to be hot, so he's in a sleeper and he cries every time I put a blanket on him. He also cries every time he rolls over, so I caved and he is now sleeping on the couch beside me.

Sick babies are too cute to ignore.