The Worst Day Ever...

Shortly after our last post, Mike suggested that we take a last-minute trip and head up to Canada for his Cousin Cristina's 10th wedding anniversary party at Lake Louise. We had initially thought we couldn't go since we'd have a new baby and 2 year old twins and traveling on a plane sounded like something we should avoid at all cost. But Mike's dad recently had leg surgery and can't fly for a little while... Thus, the idea was born that we could have them watch the twins while we escape up to the rockies with Baby Samantha. So we checked with the Lacey's who eagerly accepted the babysitting job and booked our flights. Shortly after the flights were booked, we realized that Samantha would need a passport. So, after discovering that it was possible to get a passport in a week or so, we started the process. Little did I know what it would really entail. Queue the story of The Worst Day Ever.

It was a Friday Morning and after nursing Samantha, I ran up to the twins room to jump start the day which I already knew would be long and fast-paced. I open their room and hear JJ saying, "Mommy! Mommy! Bug! Aya, Bug! Aya [over-there in spanish]!" And pointing to the top of his crib tent. There, staring me strait in the eye was a cockroach the size of my hand. Immediately, I start screaming and hyperventillating. JJ and Alexis don't know yet how gross and horrible cockroaches are (though I guess their innocence is lost now). I spend the next ten minutes switching between shuddering, screaming and trying to knock the thing off the crib and onto an area I could stomp on it. I also grabbed some bug killer to spray the thing for at least a full minute. I ended up throwing a towel over the still-squirming bug and jumping up and down on top of it for antoher good minute or two. I yanked the twins out of their cribs and threw them in the car with snack-cups full of cereal and some milk (that's important because that's the only remotely healthy thing they ate the entire day). We headed over to CVS in order to get passport photos taken. JJ and Alexis did really well, not touching anything and watching me try to balance Samantha's floppy head to get a "proper" passport photo that doesn't show my fingers. It apparently doesn't matter that the baby girl's face and features change almost daily at this stage--her photo will be good for 5 years! We got our photos taken (mine too as my passport had expired just a few months earlier), and headed down to Freeport. Freeport is about a 45 minute drive. Why were we heading there? Because I needed to get some forms notorized for the process, but needed to do it on the sly (Mike's signature needed to be notarized but he couldn't be there)... so I called my former office professional (who is amazing!) and asked her if she could meet me down at the Dow Site for a little paper-signing and stamping. Kids aren't allowed into the site, so we met just outside a pedestrian gate. Of course, midway down to Freeport, I had to stop and nurse for a few minutes in a random parking lot. Once we were there, Monica (my OP) met us and watched the kids in the car while I ran into my office (I'm currently on maternity leave so no one expected me to be there--which is a good thing as I forgot to dress appropriately and was wearing a nursing tank and jean shorts) to try to find my expired passport. I couldn't find it, so ran back out (going the back way so no one would alert EH&S about my attire). While Monica noterized the forms, I nursed again(not covered up, BTW, because I needed to call the passport agency to find out what to do since my passport was lost and expired). After breeching at least 5 Dow safety rules, we got the information I needed and headed up to Houston (a 70 minute drive). I had a 2 pm passport agency appointment, but had just enough time to stop off at home midway there to let the twins run around for 30 minutes while I filled out the updated forms we needed. After throwing the kids back in the car with a bag of fruit snacks and a juice box (their nutricious lunch), we headed up to the Passport office. Once there, I had to find parking, load the twins up in the double stroller and strap Samantha on in the bjorn. But the passport office is in a Federal building, so that meant taking the twins out of the stroller (not easy when a 6 week old is squirming in her carrier) and back in again once we got through security. We made it to the appointment, but was told I needed Samantha's birth certificate. I was also told not to worry, that I could go down the street and get it from the Civil Courthouse if I hurried. Since the passport agency closed at 3:30, I had one hour to book it accross town and back. I literally jogged back to the car (it was over 100 degrees that day too), threw everyone in their carseats, loaded the stroller, drove the 10 blocks, found parking, got out the stroller and made it to the courthouse. Of course, it too has security screening and required me to take the kids out of the stroller. Once through, we got in line to get the birth certificate and I nursed while waiting. Poor Samantha, she only got to eat that day in 5 minute increments whenever I could latch her on. but we got the certificate and made it back over to the passport agency (where again, we had to do the whole stroller disembarkement debacle through security) just before 3:30. By the time they finished our paperwork and we were done it was after 4:30 and the twins were melting down. At 5 pm we were all loaded up in the car, hot, sweaty but done and heading home. And then Mike called. "Hey, do you want to meet up at Memorial Park?" Apparently, he told a colleague that he'd go over to his new digs for a drink but didn't want to stay long, so thought meeting up with us was a convienient exiting strategy. Ever the sucker, I agreed and we headed over to the park. Mike didn't show up until almost 7 and by that time, we were all red, even more sweaty and crying. All 4 of us. Worst. Day. Ever.

But, that day did allow us (at least Mike, Sam, and me) to go to Canada for a few days at the end of July. It was an amazing trip and we so enjoyed the party that Mike's extended family threw! We also got to congratulate his brother and new fiancee Terissa in person. I'll post more on that trip and other developments later...