Too many "irons in the fire"

I don't think the hectic schedules we force on ourselves during Christmas are exactly what God had in mind when he sent Jesus to earth to help us relieve our burden of sin. Then again, if idle hands are the devil's workshop, then I won't have any problems with that this season. Maybe somewhere in here I can fit in some time to actually help some other people instead of just myself and my family. But here's what we've been up to lately:

I had a lot of "irons in the fire" on Sunday. I am trying to do too much. I needed 2 of me. My mom called last night (it was just after dusk) and invited me to come up this coming weekend to my grandparents' house because I'll have some cousins in town from New Mexico that I haven't seen in 3 or 4 years. She knows how busy we are, so she was very supportive and careful not to try to "guilt me" into coming up, saying that she really was just trying to invite me in case i heard about it later and didn't want me to get my feelings hurt if she didnt' say anything, or on the off chance I have the opportunity to come up, I could visit.

I told her "probably not", but it was funny b/c when she called I was in the process of spreading fertilizer on my yard (this is after dark, mind you), and she was like "oh dear". But that's just how our lives have been lately. My mother in law came over yesterday during the afternoon (at 4:00 p.m.) and said "wow steven it looks like you've got a few too many things going on here". She was right. I'll set the scene:

Sunday morning Amanda was getting ready to go to work (1:00 to 10:00... she leaves the house by noon). Cheri (Mother in law) comes over around 9:45 a.m. to pick up Bryce to take him shopping for presents for others so they don't know what he's getting them (I was warned of the kidnapping so I wasn't upset). She mentions that Bryce was buying my present and needed some advice... and long story short she broke down and admitting they were getting me a stepladder. I was happy. I tried to tell her what I wanted. I was already dressed for church and had the babies dressed too. My plan was to go to church, take Jenn's boy Alex's jacket to Sugarland after church b/c Saturday night at the ballet Bryce had forgotten his jacket so I borrowed Alex's, only to forget it on my front seat when I picked up the babies at 11:00 p.m. Saturday night since Jenn had babysat. Then I was going to buy groceries and come home, hopefully all by 3:30 p.m. Sunday.

Cheri and Bryce head off to Lowes. The babies and me off to church. On the way she calls me by accident (meant to call Amanda) and admitted she was at Lowes, was looking at ladders, had no space to put a ladder in her car, didn't know what kind to get, and would need help unloading it anyway. I just suggested that me and the babies skip church and drive over to Lowes since we were nearly there anyway.

so we get there, buy a ladder. I thank her. She and Bryce take off while the babies and me buy some Christmas decorations (a honey-do on the list since we don't have much of the inside kind of decor).

Then we go home, drop off the ladder and the decorations. kiss my wife goodbye. she heads off to work. I head off to Walmart. We shop for groceries and decorations. I found a present for Amanda. Then I head off to Lowes to buy wood for shelves and (shhhh....) wood for a "watchtower" I am going to build Bryce for the fort outside.

I get the wood, pay for it, the babies have a banana in the stoller in the parking lot while I move the groceries from the bed to the cab, load the wood, load the babies, and head home.
I get home at 3:45 p.m. Jenn and I have agreed to exchange the coat on Monday (thank goodness). at 4:00 p.m., Cheri and Bryce come back and that's when she sees ....

the 3/4 finished Christmas lights I put up a few days ago complete with piles of garland and extension cords on the front porch,

the wood in the back of the truck,

I'd already put up the groceries, luckily, but the preparations for dinner were out,

the babies are outside "helping me" in the garage, the fertilizer and rye-grass seed is sitting on the sidewalk ready for me to spread it.

That afternoon I cleaned the house as best I could, mowed, fertilized, spread the seed, cooked chicken quarters on the grill (burnt 'em), played with the babies outside, fed the babies, bathed the babies, read a story and put them to bed (Bryce didn't get a bath b/c he fell asleep on his bed at 9:30).

and cleaned the garage (so I had a place to put the ladder and wood, still in the back of the truck). It was as I was cleaning the garage when amanda pulled in from work. we were both exhausted but happy to see each other. I unloaded wood while she told me about her very busy but very good day at work.

I fell asleep on the couch, overslept this morning, woke up bryce and had him take a bath, and made lunches for me, Bryce, Mason, & Aspen. It's hard to believe I am talking about 24 hours here, and I only got to about half my list.