Missing my mommy

We're back from vacation, and it was really wonderful, but now my husband is back at work and I'm actually having to take care of my kids all by myself like a real live grownup. My mother lives with us but is out of town for a couple weeks helping my sister move, so my secret weapon against the constant incursions of dirt and noise is gone. People ask me all the time "how do you do it?" when they hear how many kids I have, and I feel like a faker because the true answer is that it's not even hard with all the help I get from my mom and husband. These next couple weeks will make me appreciate that help even more, I'm sure. I already did two loads of dishes and three loads of laundry yesterday (my saintly mother usually does those), and I already miss having someone to share goofy twin antics with.

I'm trying to maintain some order while she's gone, though. I actually got up before the kids today to shower and dress (even though the rat bastards ALL woke me up at least once last night and I'm exhausted), which is why I have a minute free on the computer. I have all of our appointments written out for the week - usually, I just leave one or more of the kids with my mom and run out quickly for doctors and stuff, but I need to be more organized if I'm going to get all of us anywhere on time. I've also found out yet more disheartening information about big boy's school, so I have to spend some time on the phone this week in a sure-to-be-futile effort to find 1st grade openings a week before school starts. And, craziest of all, I have to continue to hound the department of parole about big boy's bio-dad, who is trying to move here but can't because of bureaucratic crap. Why am I helping with this again?

That was rambling and uninteresting, but my window of peace is short and I have to post something, right? Wish me luck!