It's a Soccer Miracle

I know the Pacific Northwest is pretty famous for it's rain, but this week we're been getting it in spades. It has been pouring for days.
I spent Thursday sitting around, feeling extremely grateful that I had no reason to leave the house and venture out into the torrents of rain. My gratitude was totally unwarranted. At 4:11, Sofia peeked her head into the bathroom, where I was bathing my 2-yr-old, and informed me that her dance class started at 4:30. The mad rush began. Drying and dressing an angry James, yelling for girls to put dance clothes on (yes, even the one who knew she had dance wasn't ready), and trying to rouse the boys from their "command and conquer" coma, so that we can all get out the door.

Today was different...I actually remembered that I was going to be busy (and thus could stress about it), but several little miracles made it a much better day than it might have been.
First, the sun came out..briefly...just long enough for Anthony's soccer game not to be any messier than all of the boys (unable to resist the lure of a fresh puddle) made it. Since I have a very high puddle resistance, it was MUCH drier for me.
Second, my wonderful Mother came over for the day, allowing me to leave all of the other hooligans at home. I'm so grateful. I know that hooligans 4 and 5 would have been swimming in a particularly large puddle by halftime. She even stayed, so that I wouldn't have to find a babysitter for the mandatory socializing I had to do this evening. (Is this just a Navy thing or do the rest of you feel obligated to have dinner with the wives of your husband's colleagues? Nothing personal against any of them, who are all very nice.)
So, here's to a day where everything was less hectic and crazy than in could have been! (Picture me drinking the Dr.Pepper my little sister was so unwise as to leave in my keeping.) And here's to Grandmas, who take care of our kids because they actually love them (instead of just because we're paying them) and bring us super-fun crafts to boot! (See adorable fairy folk that my girls made while I was gone...with only minimal glue spillage on my bed.)