My Ducks were All in a Row

Yesterday was one of those days where my schedule was tight. Two morning appointments, early release from school. Field trip to the movie theater with the cubbies. I dashed home, spent 10 minutes putting some jello in the freezer, baked potatoes in the oven for dinner, loved on crying Liam, reassuring him that I would be back soon, and dashed out again for violin lessons. Sat and knit while Logan played, and raced back home. I called the boys on the way home from violin and asked them to take the jello out of the freezer, and set the table. I pulled in the driveway coiled and ready to spring into dinner action, because mutual was in less than an hour. "How was I going to be able to be there?" I asked myself. I'd already been gone from Liam for the last three hours. I descended on the kitchen only to find my baked potatoes not in the oven where I left them. They were all neatly placed on the counter and still hard as a rock. Raw. I was struck dumb. Then I could only speak in half sentences. "Wha...how?" "Who?" and "Why?!!" It turned out the boys in their infinite helpfulness heard the oven beep right after I left. You know, how the beep when the oven is done preheating is the same beep when the timer goes off? I hadn't left any instructions concerning the oven. I'd just told them to keep their brother happy and watch Mythbusters, a show the male member of the family love dearly. But they heard a beep.
Those nice, big, fat baker potatoes went back in the oven. I curled up in the fetal position on the couch and watched the Barbara Walters special about the Oscars. Why? Because I was discouraged and needed to go to another place. When the potatoes were done, The kids ate and I resumed my hiding. Mutual had long since started. Dang. My feelings of being a loser mom and being overwhelmed just increased. Then there came a little thought: you're just feeling this way because you're tired. It's been a super busy day, cut yourself some slack!
I wandered over to the piano and started playing some hymns while the boys finished their dinners. I started to feel less guilty. "The big boys may be missing church, but at least they're getting a little spirituality snuck in there!" I smiled to myself. I saw Logan slip downstairs and emerge with his violin. He smiled to me and began to play 'If you could Hie to Kolob' with me. Then we moved to 'God Moves in a Mysterious Way'. Then on to 'I Am a Child of God'.

Precious.

I grabbed Dallin's copy of The Order of the Phoenix, and flopped back down on the couch. (He's 9, and reading the series for the first time. Can you think of anything more magical than that? He's been buried in them for weeks.) "I'm reading aloud in 10 minutes!" I announce. "Get the table cleared and wiped, so you can listen!" There was a flurry of activity, and soon we were all cuddled up, worrying with Harry about his hearing at the Ministry of Magic. After finishing the dishes, Logan made brownies. Lewis walked in, just in time to eat brownies and ice cream, and help get the kids in bed.
My evening didn't go like clockwork like I'd planned.
But, wow.