Epic Fail, if there was ever a TRULY. EPIC. FAIL.

Picture this:

There is a crying mama holding a sleeping infant, 5 year old crying/screaming clutching her leg as if she will DIE if she lets go and a 2 year old crying out of confusion at the whole matter trying to find his own spot to grab onto his mama.

Welcome to my morning.

The plan was for Spitfire to attend a local Vacation Bible School (VBS) with a friend of hers.  Apparently, as goes with her "nickname," Spitfire wasn't having it!  I knew it was going to be a stretch to have her stay and participate but figured it might work since her good friend would be there. 

I can immediately see Spitfire taking in everything that is going on as we check in.  The first thing she tells me is that she's not going to wear her bandana (each group had a different color bandana).  She wouldn't join her group for the opening song.  I went with her to join her friend at a craft station with no speaking or crafting from her!  Firecracker, on the other hand, took her piece of clay and started to do what they asked.  When they looked or asked him a question though, he looked down and whispered "Don't look at me."  ( I laughed so hard to myself)  At this point, the dear friend holding Sparkle for me, came to me because Sparkle wanted to nurse.  The three of us went to the back of the gym to take care of Sparkle.  Then Firecracker decided he needed a snack from the car.  Our other dear friend offered to go get it, sweet little pregnant thing that she is :)  This introverted mama was reaching her limit.  Throughout all this, the endless dialogue between Spitfire and I was exhausting.  I started to cry.  I managed to keep it together though.

An extremely nice woman, who informed me she was the nurse, came to "help" next.  Little did she know, my sweet children are not even a smidge normal so her normal helping tricks wouldn't even touch the surface.  Her plan was for Firecracker to stay with her and color with markers while I took Spitfire over to the crafts again (clueless to the nursing infant).  Hah!  First, unlatch nursing infant.  Next "leave" Firecracker - he followed us (as I knew he would).  Third, bring Spitfire to complete craft.  How many guesses as to whether she did it??  Anyone?  Big fat no.

Snack time was next.  Would Spitfire sit next to her friend?  Nope.  Would Firecracker beg to drink her juice?  Yep.  Meanwhile, someone had taken Sparkle again. I lost it at this point.  Tears and lots of them were falling from my emotionally exhausted face.  Firecracker was so sweet and confused asking why I was crying.  All this leads to the climax of the story: There is a crying mama holding a sleeping infant, 5 year old crying/screaming clutching her leg as if she will DIE if she lets go and a 2 year old crying out of confusion at the whole matter trying to find his own spot to grab onto his mama.

It was time to go.  You may be asking why we stayed so long.  Spitfire kept claiming she didn't want to leave.  Her motivation to stay was because she was supposed to be going to said friends house after VBS.  Spitfire still wanted to go to her house, but she did not want anything to do with VBS.

The women there thought I was crying because I didn't want to leave Spitfire.  Believe me, I was OK leaving her, I was crying because I was so sad and emotionally exhausted.  They and others surely wondered why I didn't just leave Spitfire and let her cry.  It's just not what we do.  Does it look like the children run the household?  Perhaps.  Do I care?  Yes, even though other people's perceptions shouldn't bother me.  If I left her to cry, would that make her feel safe in the environment?  (No.)  Would she get over it?  (Maybe.)  Did WE ALL get over it when our parents left us? (Maybe.)

I don't mean to complain of the situation.  It certainly has brought up a lot to think about. I'm now rethinking all of my "plans" for this coming school year.  God has sure been chuckling over my plans lately!