Don't pray for patience.....

Unless you want your patience to be tried! Recently I found myself praying for more patience - with my children, with life's little hiccups, with work, home, etc. This weekend - my patience test was delivered! We packed a lot into our "lazy weekend". The weather was fabulous and we had to make the most of it!
Friday night we went out to eat at Fazoli's with some friends and so Greg could pack in the carbs before his 5K race in Louisville Saturday morning. Then we went to Jason and Jenny's house so Greg could help Jason move some plywood sheets to the attic for their remodel project.
Saturday morning Greg was up and out of the house around 5:30 to get to his race. The boys were up early which meant I was too! We did various projects around the house. Greg washed both his car and van when he got home (He ran the 5K in 21 minutes by the way!!). I put away all my snowmen decorations and got out the Easter eggs and bunnies. Spring is here - NO MORE SNOW! The boys played outside for about 4-5 hours. I ran almost 3.5 miles and then we all got cleaned up and went to Gattitown in Lexington. Patience test #1 -Gattitown was OVERCROWDED. Finding a table was a feat in and of itself. We played a few games after dinner and then headed over to the Kroger Marketplace. That was when patience test #2 occurred - 3 kids in Kroger and I got sick! Now, who really wants to get sick in the bathroom at Kroger? NOT ME! We came home and got ready for bed.
Sunday morning found me up at 6 to get to church for band rehearsal and to sing in both church services. The first service I truly felt like a slug. I had NO ENERGY at all. I was pitiful. I left after singing, stopped for some caffeine and prayed I would recharge between services. We came home after second service and watched the UK vs. Florida basketball game. UK won! Then Greg decided to take Blake and Noah outside to play while he cut up a tree that had fallen in our backyard during a previous storm this winter. I decided to take a short nap. I knew I needed one, but it was so pretty outside, I felt bad sleeping. No matter - patience test #3 - I fell asleep only to be awakened by the phone fifteen minutes later! Then I could not go back to sleep. I went outside and cleaned out all of my flower beds, trimmed back rose bushes and more. The boys were great helpers! They used their wheel barrel and rakes and picked up all the leaves and dead flowers. Then I decided to go for a run - got in another 3 miles! YEAH!!! Greg ran before me and put together dinner while I ran. Then it was time for haircuts. Greg cut all three boys' hair and then showers for all! We picked out clothes for school, checked backpacks and read bedtime stories. I went to bed thinking I might get to sleep in a little in the am because Greg was going to wake the boys up and get them ready for school.
Patience test #4 - Greg woke me up at 7 to say that Noah was crying and did not want to go to school. He said his ear hurt and he didn't feel good. I got his shoes off and jacket and got him back in bed with me. He slept for another hour or so. We got up, got an appointment for him at the pediatrician, got dressed, fed Andy and left for Lexington. I was going to take him for allergy shots, go to Target and then the pediatrician. If I had time, I was meeting Greg at Jon's Run/Walk shop for new running shoes. As I neared my first stop, Noah shouts out - "Mommy! Andy is throwing up!" - insert patience test #5 - so we pulled over at Target. I spent the next 30 minutes cleaning Andy up, taking off his now dirty clothes, putting on new clothes, cleaning up the carpet and his carseat. I put his carseat in the very back and moved Noah's up front and had Noah sit in the booster seat. We went into Target to purchase not only the birthday present but socks,shirt, pants and shoes for Andy and more wipes.
Then we headed over to the pediatrician and squeaked in right at the appointed time. Greg met me there and sat with Andy out in the van. He said Andy just sat there and he read to him, but he didn't really talk or want any food. We found out that Noah's eardrum either burst or he had a small perforation so he has to take antibiotics and we have to put drops in his ear. Poor guy! I was literally pulling out of the doctor's office parking lot when Andy threw up for the second time. I pulled over at the next shopping center, got Andy out, cleaned him off, changed his clothes again, wiped off the carseat and then promptly drove through McDonald's for a coke - I figured I'd earned it at this point!!!!!
We went to pick up Blake at school. We were twenty minutes early. Andy was asleep. He woke up when Blake got in the car. As we headed across town to drop off Noah's prescriptions and go home, Andy threw up for the third time. He was pitiful!
I got him home, new clothes on and in bed. I removed ALL stuffed animals and books from his bed in case he would get sick again! I didn't want to have to throw away his beloved giraffe or elephant. I got Noah medicine and down for a nap.
Patience test #5 - Taking the covers off two carseats was like wrestling an alligator! Who designs these things? I finally got the covers off and in the washer along with all of the clothing. Then I had to hose off the plastic part of the car seats. There was stuff in EVERY crevice. I then cloroxed them and left them to dry in the sun.
HALLELUJAH! It is only 6pm and I feel like I have been run over by a semi-trailer. Who says being a parent is easy?
As I finish this entry, it is after 11pm. Poor Andy has gotten sick several more times. I hate seeing my kids sick. It is so hard because I want to fix it for them, and in this instance, there is nothing I can do.
I do know one thing - I am praying my patience is not tested again tomorrow! Hopefully all of my little guys will be back to 100% in the morning!