Just one of those days...

Yesterday was Craig's birthday and the boys and I had a big fest planned, including a dinner out that they had all been working really hard to earn (they had to show me I could trust their behavior in public after 5 pm and also eat a huge snack so hunger didn't interfere with said behavior maintenance). Craig and I are not that into birthdays, but the boys consider them sacred and wanted to do it up big. He had already gotten his present as I absconded with the boys on Sunday so he had a whole day to himself, which he used to go on a long bike ride and play soccer. That was not the same to the kids, however, since it did not involve cake, singing, cake, presents, and cake. One of the things about being a parent is that you find yourself doing things for yourself because of them.

Another thing about being a parent is that things rarely go the way you plan. Sure enough, in the middle of card creation I got a call from a friend in labor and was suddenly in charge of a fourth boy (age 2) as her husband rushed to the hospital to be with her. Not a problem, we got him integrated into the pack and made some changes (dinner out became pizza at home) and were actually doing all right until, right at bedtime, the man from Mid-Atlantic Waterproofing showed up.

Craig and I have determined that we can't put off dealing with our wet basement any longer. It is not good for the house or our health and so must change, however much it hurts to spend 10k on something that won't make a smidge of difference to our home's appearance. We've been collecting estimates and had already had Mid-Atlantic out once but they wanted to come back and try for the hard sell. Something we had completely forgotten in the chaos of the evening.

To recap: 6 and 5 year-olds upstairs trying to go to sleep, two 2 year-olds downstairs wanting to play and read books and have adult interaction, and one salesman in the dining room determined not to leave our house without our signature on the dotted line.

While not the birthday celebration anyone envisioned for Craig, it did fit our lives remarkably well.

Oh, little brother was born at 2 am and all are doing well. Craig and I did sign on the dotted line and our house should be significantly healthier in a few weeks. Birthday dinner will be combined with father's day.