The Kaleidoscope Family- Episode Three

This post is a hilarious portrayal of everything that could go wrong in a day. I hope it will encourage someone that they are not alone in this mess called life. But God works through our messes and makes them into something beautiful. I also hope you appreciate the puppy- she is named after a family pet, although our Wendy was not as chaotic as this one, or at least not in the same way. With that said, enjoy the story!

Jenny couldn’t help but laugh. Today had been a day when everything seemed to go wrong…but her children’s tale when they arrived home from school was so amusing she just had to laugh in relief. 

First, her alarm had gone off late. She had jumped out of bed to make breakfast for Karl and the children, but she had tripped over the laundry pile on the floor. Rats! She really needed to fold the laundry. She hurriedly picked up the clothes and put them in a basket which she carried into the living room to fold later. 

Only half an hour until Karl and the older children needed to leave for work and school! What was she supposed to make? 

Her eyes fell on the dirty dishes in the sink. Were there any clean dishes left?

Ah, there was some leftover fruit pizza from the twins’ first birthday party the day before. That with the dry cereal and some orange juice would be a good meal, if a little thrown together. She grabbed the milk out of the fridge and started setting the table -WAIT! There was no silverware. She stacked the dishes from the sink on the crowded counter and started running water for washing them…

“Mama!” Oh no, one of her children needed help. She turned to see Kellie. “I need help with this math problem!” 

Jenny thought despairingly of how she wished her daughter had done her homework the night before…but there was the party and afterwards the ten-year-old had been too exhausted to think clearly. 

Pulling out a chair, she sat down at the half-set table to help her daughter. 

Five minutes later, Karl entered the room. “Jen dear, did you want to flood the house?” He asked in a joking tone. 

Startled, Jenny looked towards the sink. The water was nearly overflowing the sink. She hurried to turn the faucet into the rinse sink and started bailing out the extra water. 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t have time to make a proper breakfast because I woke up late.” She apologized, grabbing some plasticware and the dry cereal to put on the table. 

Karl pulled her in for their morning hug and kiss. “It’s alright,” he murmured into her hair. “You know, I love fruit pizza!” 

“Kellie, go get your sister, she’s probably still deciding what to wear!” Jenny said, as Tommy stumbled into the kitchen, rubbing sleep from his eyes. She felt a little better. 

A few minutes later, the family was seated around the table to have a quick breakfast -except the twins, who were still sleeping in their crib. Everyone joined hands and Karl prayed for the food. 

“Father, bless this food and the hands that prepared it. Help me to do well at work today and that Jen will have a good day at home. Give us all wisdom, and bless Kellie, Susie and Tommy at school today. Thank you, Amen.”

After quickly eating some breakfast, the children raced Karl to the car, making Jenny laugh. 

She cleared the table and started doing the dishes. She probably had half an hour before the twins woke up. She started her audio Bible and listened as her hands rubbed the dishes clean. It was a calming sensation. 

But she only had a few minutes before she heard noises from her bedroom. She found Timmy was awake, and he was a mess. She really should start potty training soon. She dumped him into the tub. Lucy was still asleep. She moved her as softly as she could onto the bed, and stripped the crib sheets, throwing them into the laundry room and then rushing back to the bathroom. Timmy had crawled out of the tub and now the floor was a mess too!

Stepping gingerly, she decided she might as well take a shower too. So she undressed and carried her baby boy back to the tub. 

The water calmed her somewhat, though she was still aware that the house was a mess. 

When she and Timmy were clean, and she had mopped the bathroom floor, Lucy was awake. 

She carried the twins to the living room and fed them. 

Then she put them in their playpen so she could finish washing the dishes, and started the washing machine to run at the same time. Sometimes she was glad she was a modern woman, it sure made things go faster. 

She finished the dishes and started an audiobook for her and the twins to listen to while she folded the clothes. Things seemed to be going well, although Timmy and Lucy did seem to want to unfold the clothes she had just folded. 

Then her sister called. Jimmy was still in the hospital and she wanted to go visit him. Could she leave her puppy Wendy at Jenny’s house?

Jenny agreed, though she knew Wendy was a hyperactive puppy, as dogs usually were. But she couldn’t be left alone. 

Hanging up the phone, she didn’t see Lucy. Or Timmy. Hearing a noise from the bathroom, she went and tried to open the door. It was locked. 

Frantically, she searched for a paper clip or nail to open the lock. Toddlers could get into anything while in the bathroom…the toilet paper, the bathtub, the toilet…that worried her. At least there was a child lock on the sink cabinet. 

At last she found something. Hurriedly picking the lock, she opened the door. Just as she had feared, the toilet paper was unrolled and towels and bath toys scattered over the floor. At least the toilet lid had been closed. Breathing a sigh of relief, she picked up the giggling toddlers and hurried to the front door as the bell rang. Nancy and her puppy were here. 

A puppy and two toddlers was a somewhat dangerous combination, but she figured she could handle it for a couple hours. 

But it was challenging. She introduced Wendy to the twins first. 

“Gentle. Be kind.” She coaxed them. “Soft.” The two gently petted the puppy, and then she had them take turns throwing a ball for her. 

Then, she needed to make herself lunch. She thought something quick would be fine. She grabbed a packet of ramen and some seasonings and heated water on the stove. 

But while she was in the kitchen, the twins started chasing Wendy and Lucy fell down and started crying. 

She picked up the little girl to comfort her and the water started boiling over. She quickly turned down the heat and put the noodles in. Before she could stop her Lucy stuck her fingers in the hot water. Now she had to kiss the fingers better and put a ice pack to the injured hand. 

Needless to say lunch was delayed for awhile. Finally the little girl calmed down and she put the twins down for a nap. She ate and then folded the laundry amid puppy cuddles. 

Her sister returned and picked up Wendy just as the twins woke up which caused more tears, but Jenny read them a story and then fed them. Then she read some more stories to them. 

It was a special moment. She had had a difficult morning, but holding her babies next to her reminded her that her children brought her joy and she was blessed to be their mother. 

And when the older children came home from school, they told her about their day. 

“We called the hospital!” eight-year-old Susie proclaimed. 

Apparently the children had wanted to talk to Jimmy during recess. There was an old payphone attached to the outside of the back of the building. 

Susie had climbed on the back of one of her classmates, Fred Hansen. 

“I think you’re a bit too heavy for him.” Jenny interjected, concerned. 

“Oh no, he said it was fine.” Susie said happily. 

Kellie had a quarter so she had paid for the call and it had gone through. 

“Well, just be careful and maybe choose an older boy next time!” Jenny said laughing. 

“And how did you enjoy visiting the first grade?” She asked five-year-old Tommy, ruffling his hair. 

It had been a skip day so he had visited the school to see what it might be like next year. 

“It was fun. We played some games and there was another boy who likes trains too.” Tommy smiled at his mother. He was growing up too fast. 

“Well girls, why don’t you hurry with your homework so you can help me with supper!” Jenny said. “Tommy, do you want to come play with the twins in the yard while I plant some flowers and vegetables?” He agreed, and everyone went to their tasks to prepare for when Papa came home.