The key to not losing my mind, is somewhere at the farmer's market

Let me set the stage.

We are just leaving the farmer's market. I've fed Owen just enough to tie him over until we can get home and I can nurse him more comfortably. We get the boys out of the stroller, load them up, buckle them in and unload all of our fruits and veggies. Jordyn lifts the 10 ton stroller into the back of the van.

It's noon so the boys are hungry for lunch. It's been somewhat of a trying morning so I too am looking forward to lunch.... because lunch is followed by nap-time and nap-time is when I re-fuel.

"Umm, where are the car keys?"

We look everywhere in the car. The keys are nowhere.

We unload the massive stroller and search it completely.

No keys.

Where could they be?! And seriously, what kind of mother am I that I can't keep track of car keys. I see no other mother in this parking lot unable to leave because she's lost her keys. No question that I'm not the most organized mom on the block... not even close. Never will be. But I should be able to take my kids to the farmer's market without loosing the car keys! Right?!

"Boys, do any of you know where Mommy's keys are??"

"Farmer's market?" Two of the triplets say. Colin and Everett say nothing.

"What does that mean, farmer's market? Where in the farmer's market? Did you see the keys??? Tell mommy." But I know it's useless to try and ask these questions of a two year old! I'm getting nowhere talking through this with them so I venture back into the market.

I return to every vendor we bought from (which today, were a lot!). No one has seen the keys.

I run over to the grassy area, where I nursed Owen and the boys ate apples on a picnic blanket. Surely the keys are in the grass somewhere. I'll pick them up and we'll be on our way.

But they're not there. They're literally nowhere to be found.

Finally, I'm directed to go into the Civic Center, which is next to the market and where lost and found items are often turned in. I race in (hurrying because I'm just sure the hungry boys are a mess waiting all this time in the car). Once at the office I ask if anyone has turned in keys.

"Sorry Ma'am, no keys here. Do you want to leave your name and phone number in case someone turns them in?"

I am on the verge of tears at this point. I speed walk back to the car and see Jordyn standing outside the van rocking and bouncing Owen who is now fussy. The van is rocking with boys ready to go home.

"They're nowhere Jordyn" I say feeling completely defeated.

"This is SO weird! How could they just disappear?!"

The boys are all staring at me wide eyed. Perhaps they are wondering if this is the moment Mommy loses her marbles.

"Guys, you don't have Mommy's keys do you? Of course you don't... they wouldn't even fit in your pockets....." 

and then I see the bulge in Finley's right pocket.

"FINLEY JOSEPH DO YOU HAVE MOMMY'S KEYS IN YOUR POCKET?!?"

I don't even wait for the answer.... in a second I am lunging across the car seats and my hand is already reaching in his shallow- but- apparently- big- enough- to- hold- my- van- keys, pocket.

The keys!

The keys were in Finley's pocket THE WHOLE TIME.

I have no clue how he got them or how he squeezed them into his pocket. Nor do I think he was purposely not telling me that he had them either. He's two.

Oh Finn...... :-)

Finn loves to pretend to be asleep....

but he's not.... he thinks it's the funniest thing in the world....which to us, it kinda is.
(and that's my arm holding a pacifier in Owen's mouth on our trip two weekends ago)

Tell me I'm not the only one who has these kinds of mornings.

Owen, smiling over the weekend

I awaken to Owen next to me in bed and I hear the boys with Chris, running around downstairs. They sound like a herd of elephants. "How do such little feet make so much noise?", I wonder.

I look at Owen and he smiles at me. Oh how I love the "first smiles" stage. Makes me optimistic about this day.

This is going to be a good morning!

We head downstairs and I bring the older boys their clothes (score one that I found clean clothes in less than 5 minutes). Chris heads downstairs to his office and our nanny Jordyn arrives.

I make an announcement:

"Let's go to the farmer's market! There will be story time and an animal exhibit, just like every week! It will great!!"

This is going to be a good morning.

The boys begin fighting over what to wear. Finley just wants to go outside without clothes. Nobody wants a diaper change. There is lots of chasing to get them dressed. Two year olds are fast!

Colin is running around naked from the waist down until I finally realize that he's waiting for underwear. Why didn't he just ask me for underwear?

Where are Finley's crocs? The ones that are a size too small but that he loves. "Finley sweetie, can you wear one of the five other pair of shoe options right here by the door?" The answer is a resounding "no". So we hunt for quite a while as tears of concern run down Finley's cheeks. Everyone always takes their shoes off at the door, so it's a real mystery as to where these crocs could have gone.

I end up finding them upstairs in the corner of the bathroom. Of course, because that makes sense.

I tell Jordyn that I'll feed Owen and then we'll be off! Story time at the farmer's market! Let's do this!

Owen is too sleepy to eat. Hmmm..... Well, okay. He's not hungry yet so I'll pump and feed him a bottle during story time. That might actually work better. Things are falling into place.

Now we're off!

As we pull out of the driveway Owen starts wailing. He's hungry. Now he's hungry.

I pray that he'll fall asleep as the car continues moving but he doesn't. So five minutes down the road we pull over and feed him the bottle. I thank the Lord for t.v's in cars as the boys happily watch Winnie the Pooh and wait. 15 minutes later, we're off again.

Owen starts wailing. Again. Is there anything worse than an infant crying at the top of their lungs?

He needs a diaper change. Okay, no problem. We can deal with that.

I forgot diapers. He is my FIFTH child! How do I not know to bring diapers?! How do I forget that essential??

Finally we make it to the farmer's market. The boys fight over who will sit where in the stroller but Owen settles into the Ergo carrier and falls asleep. We head over to story time!

Only there is no story time today. No animal exhibit either. Maybe it was an off day, or maybe I got the time wrong (a distinct possibility).

Awesome. Now what???

We walk around the farmer's market and buy blueberries but it is ungodly hot. "I'm hot!!!!" the boys all say. Again and again and again.

So I make the only decision that seems to makes sense at this juncture.

"Let's go to Target"

I mean really, when all else fails, who doesn't enjoy a trip to Target? Target my friends, might just be the answer to everything.

We make it to Target and then just as I walk in the door I notice that my milk has started running. My shirt is soaked.

This is getting embarrassing.

You'd think that I'd get everyone back in the car and head home but you'd be wrong. Go ahead and stare people, I'm getting my Target shopping done!

Thankfully, I was able to shimmy the Ergo carrier to cover some of the issue... but not all of it.

So that was our morning.

Tell me I'm not the only one who has these mornings?