Mama Hershey's moments

So, I hope its no mystery that I love my boys. I truly and surely do. I also don't think its a mystery that somedays it takes a lot of work and requires a heap of patience.
I jot this down, not for any form of sympathy, but more for the fact that I want to remember these moments...as people will often remind me, "these days go by so fast!" (I'm here to tell you Nov 29, 2017 did not feel like a very fast day.)

I had been up several times in the night with Isaac, he has an ear infection and Jonah has pneumonia..so that sets the tone as far as that goes. Prior to Ben leaving for work in the morning, Jonah was awake and he put a show on for him in the basement (a rare treat for me and him...so I could get a little more sleep while Isaac was still sleeping). It worked, I came down to both Jonah and Noah watching a show, there was also an atrocious smell coming from Jonah's diaper. He has been notorious for INSISTING we not change his filthy diapers, and when I say filthy I mean disgusting in every way you can imagine. I had brought Noah's clothes down as he needed to go to preschool, and be there in approximately 25 minutes. He shockingly got dressed without any qualms, and then asked to eat breakfast. Mind you, the second I came down with a new diaper and clothes for Jonah the very loud, frantic crying was cued that he NOT be changed both out of his jammies and/or get a new diaper. So I went upstairs, to let him be for a moment, and get myself somewhat appropriately dressed/ready to leave the house to take Noah to school. While I was going to the bathroom, I heard Isaac wake up, but it wasn't just that he 'woke up'. He was crying...and it was a hurt cry. It is very unusual for him to wake up crying in general, let alone a hurt cry. So I hurry in there, and yes indeed he is hurt, as he is stuck in the crib rail with his leg. His poor leg is so jammed in there, it doesn't back out easily whatsoever. I have to finagle it back and forth, and it comes free, but not without many sad tears from him (and man, I wanted to cry for him!). Meanwhile, Mr. Frantic Poopy Pants comes in Isaac's room still crying about the fact that I had started unbuttoning his pajamas, and he really wanted them buttoned back up. I am trying to console Isaac, and change his also poopy diaper. And I can also hear Noah in the background saying, "I'm hungry, I'm ready for breakfast." Isaac's dressed, and still unhappy and hungry, so I nurse him while I go on to do these other things...Jonah is still beside himself...and I really need to get Noah some food. I ask what he wants....we are all out of the cereal he normally likes..so he asks for toast....oh, yep, just used the last of the bread on Christian's sandwich for school. He asks for a banana, um...yep, all out of those too! So I ask if he wants a granola bar and a yogurt, which he replied "thhhhaat's not breakfast food" (somewhat sassy, but serious all in one). I decided Jonah's crying was really needing to be addressed whether he liked having a clean diaper or not, so I opened a granola bar and placed it in front of Noah and finished feeding Isaac. Quickly went put my contacts in while saying an outloud sing-song prayer (because I've heard that helps get to Jesus faster...not really, it just helps me not feel like I'm shouting), above Jonah's noise "JESUS, I'M ALL OUT OF PATIENCE, I NEED YOU TO GIVE ME MORE!" (Which maybe it sounds like I'm above it all at this point...but the thought, I gave you these children, you are a mama...you have them! came to my head....and honestly, I won't say my mood just eased, but it was the reminder in that very moment that I needed.) So I went onto tackle the 3 year old grizzly bear/bull.. got his diaper off, and as he continued to lay there with no pants/diaper on crying and kicking about his terrible situation...Noah is asking for more food, so I open up a yogurt (that I KNOW he has liked in the past), and place it in front of him..and he refuses to eat it. It is now the normal time in which we are loaded in the car and leaving for preschool. Isaac is still wanting to be held, and Noah says in all seriousness, "I'll just take some shrimp, do you have some of that shrimp that you make?" "WHAT? Shrimp for breakfast, that is breakfast food??" "Yeah, I like it, I'll just eat that." Well, I didn't have any shrimp on hand, let alone prepared for breakfast, so he said, "ffiiiiiinnnnee, I guess I'll eat some Cheerios." Poor guy, settled for Cheerios. I give it to him, and then look at the STILL crying Jonah and tell him, we are actually going to leave to take Noah to preschool..and he is not allowed to come without clothes on. He then goes into the mode where he thinks I'm going to leave him, which I never would...and then instantly agrees to get dressed. I get him dressed, the crying has stopped, and he gets up and says, "Sorry for yelling at you Mommy." We FINAAAALLY get everyone in the car, and Jonah insists on taking his crayons and paper he had gotten out, so I go back in the house for that. Pull out of the garage, and of course the gas light is on. It is 9:28, we usually arrive about 5 minutes ago, not leave our house then. When we pull up to the preschool, I had told Noah to get his hat on, and then when we stop I'd help him with his coat. So I get out, open the door, and look back to get Noah out and his eyes are shut..there is not a hat on his head and he is faking 'sleep'. I said, "Noah, what are you doing? Come on, we are late. Get out of the van." He doesn't move, he just gives a little smile...and then says, "I know. I don't want to go to preschool, I'm pretending to sleep." I had to laugh. I mean, really....it was just funny. Before he gets out of the van, I unload the 2 pounds of burgers that are in his nose, and the 1/2 pound of eye crust that is matted to his extremely long eye lashes. And at 9:38 we walk into preschool....and our morning is underway.
I have deemed myself worthy of stopping for the 'too-expensive-but-oh-so-delicious' coffee at the coffee shop, a medium sized one no less! I filled up the tank with gas, and then return home for the day to move forward.
It was not all up hill from there, it actually hit a whole new level of low again around 5 pm, and again at midnight...but you know, I was reminded several more times that even on these rough days, I have these little people that I GET to be a mama to. And even when I "literally feel grey hairs popping through my head" (as Ben said), it is a privilege to have four healthy little boys that make us work and lose a bit of sanity for. Because the alternative, well I just couldn't bear that thought. And there are PLENTY of situations out there far worse, I can't even handle reading about their reality, let alone living it.
So give me my crazy, give me the noise, give me the poop, the burgers, the absurd breakfast requests, the fits,....but give me Jesus, and please give me the expensive coffee too.