Confessions of a Frazzled Mom

Yesterday I took my boys to story time at the library. Our story time is pretty standard...complete with stories, songs, rhymes and a craft at the end. The theme was Choo-Choo trains, so Nicholas was quite engaged and happy to be there. Noah, on the other hand, was busy, busy, busy. First, trying to rifle through other people's diaper bags in hopes of scoring a treat. However, then he moved on to bigger and better tasks.

Yesterdays craft was gluing a paper choo-choo train onto a mountain scene and then coloring it. There are 20 trays on tables around the room, each tray containing a white piece of paper, a 3-piece train cut out, a cup of crayons and a glue stick. Remember, there are 20 of these trays around the room. So, Noah decides to start pulling each and every tray off of the tables. I was scrambling behind him, trying to pick all of the pieces up and then tried to hold him in my arms and distract him, he would have NONE of that, all he wanted was the trays - yes, we SHOULD have left at that point. However, Nicholas was enjoying himself so much, I just didn't have the heart to leave. SO, after battling with Noah for 20 minutes straight, story time was over. Nicholas decided that he wanted to play on the computer. I thought this would be okay, because I wouldn't have to contain Noah as much - WRONG. So, I was trying to get Nick all set up, while watching Noah out of the corner of my eye...of course, he was either banging the computer keyboard or pulling all of the books off of the lower shelves. Finally, Nick was all set and I decided to find something to entertain Noah. There was a medium size table (not a tiny kids table, but not full adult height either) with some puzzles on it. Noah spotted them and teetered over to climb up on the chair. I was playing puzzles with him and he was very happy and content sitting there playing...I am rejoicing...he is both entertained and contained! All of the sudden, Nick starts screaming for me to help him. So, I walk a few yards away, thinking "Noah will be okay in that seat for just a minute." All of the sudden I turn around, Noah is going head first off the chair, hits his forehead and does a sideways somersault (luckily, he only ended up with a small bump and a carpet burn on his forehead). I hear gasps from many moms, I run to pick him up while he starts his blood-curdling cry and the lady who did story time is coming toward me with her hands up in the air. First, she asks if he is okay and then she snidely says, "you know, you can put him on the floor any time you would like." No kidding???!!! I had been struggling with this kid for nearly an hour now, I obviously feel terrible that he fell and got hurt because I let him sit in a chair unattended, everyone is staring at me because my baby is screaming and YES, let me say it again, IT WAS MY FAULT. Looking back, I should not have left him there, but did she REALLY need to point it out?? I grabbed all of our stuff (crafts, bags, books, bulky winter coats and Noah), told Nick it was time to go (to which he refused and I had NO hands free to carry him out), so I calmly told him that I was going to sign him off of the computer and it was time to leave NOW. Nicholas, of course, does not come right away, so when he decides he is ready and looks up and I am not there (I was signing him off of the computer at the Help desk)...he freaks out, screaming "Mommy, don't leab me" and runs right out the front doors (both of which automatically open) and into the parking lot. I am running and screaming after him to stop, carrying Noah, who is still screaming as well.
We finally get to the car and I tell Nick to get into his seat while I put Noah in the other side (again, no hands free to make sure this happens), while I am walking around the car to put Noah in, Nick climbs in the front seat and begins laying on the horn. Will it never END!! I buckled both boys in and got in the front seat and burst into tears because I was feeling so frazzled. I drove home wondering if I should ever attempt to leave the house again. Pretty much, most of our outings are this stressful these days, because my hands are ALWAYS full and I have two, mobile, yet non-listening, children. Maybe when spring comes, it will be better because I won't have all of the bulky coats to deal, at least I hope so. After the library fiasco, I got myself together, we actually had a really nice day. I am laughing about the whole series of events now, but yesterday, not so much.