"Serenity Now!"

This morning I've been feeling like George Costanza's dad (on Seinfeld) a lot -- wanting to throw my hands up and yell "serenity now!' over and over. Here are a few jpeg-less snapshots of the past few hours in my life:

--Being awoken at 4:30 am by Colsen (who then went promptly back to sleep) and lying awake in my bed listening to what I'm pretty sure are rodents inhabiting our attic.
--Coming downstairs a few hours later to find the computer desk broken. As I type this, the keyboard is slanted at a 45-degree angle, and the mouse (electronic, not a rodent, thankfully) keeps sliding down into it.
--Trying to do dishes and discovering the garbage disposal is not working.
--Realizing all through our school time that I kept having to have 3 conversations simultaneously, which gets taxing after awhile. At one point Colsen was on my lap making me "read him" a unit study book about dogs, Rayna was on one side of me counting by tens and wanting my approval, and Strider was the other side asking me if 9/15 is 60%.
--Looking outside 5 minutes after "recess" started to find that Strider had taken the other 2 kids into our neighbor's backyard and locked them in their dog pen. (Both of them were yelling to get out of jail)
--Discovering that an entire load of laundry I was taking out of the dryer had what looks to be permanent black marks all over! Every single item may be ruined.
--Looking in the dryer and seeing the tell-tale black streaks throughout. While I'm busy scrubbing it out, I realize I've now over-boiled some eggs on the stove.
--Explaining to Rayna for the 217th time that she cannot wear her footless tights as pants. Then 5 minutes later explaining to her that no, she still cannot wear her too-small patterned pajama bottoms as daytime pants.
--Having a "2-towel" lunch -- one to clean up spilled milk on the rug and one to clean up spilled egg-water when the egg pan tipped over and fell on the floor.

So, Pete just came home and I'm off to do some quick Christmas shopping, but since one of the stores on my list is Wal-Mart, I'm not sensing that I'll be obtaining any serenity there.... Maybe it will be found in the car on the way to and from.

(Overall, though, I know this has been a very good day and we have much to be thankful for. Sometimes you just have to laugh at all -- or blog about it all -- so you don't go crazy!)