I am a survivor.

It has come to this. I have had to covertly work my way through the minefield of children's toys and canines to descend into the basement (skipping the step with the squeak) to have a few minutes to myself to write. Getting things done has been the most complicated of tasks since the babies came along. I thought it was bad with one child, but apparently I was wrong.

Jana left me alone with the children last night.

I was going to leave that statement without saying more, because it is terrifying in it's own right. She didn't leave me for 10 minutes to check on the neighbors. Not half an hour to go to the store. Jana actually had the audacity to need some adult quiet time and went to dinner with the girls from work. To a nice dinner. Without me. Leaving me alone with the children. I know it is hard to understand the gravity of this situation if you are without the bevy of younglings that we seem to have. (I was trying to think of a nice analogy, but can't. Please just sympathize if you don't understand.)

The evening was started with tears as Jana headed out to the car. Jackson was crying too. We quickly moved to diversion techniques and spent the evening watching Wonder Pets. Episode after episode of Wonder Pets. It never gets old, and the boy was appeased. The rest of the night I went from baby to baby as one was hungry, then the other was hungry. One would cry, then the other would cry. Their base level of functioning made their actions pretty simple and similar, and by the end of the evening some of my base neurological response had been worn down and I was able to sit peacefully as everyone cried around me.

I have to say that all things considered, it went pretty well. I try not to tell Jana that. I try to put on a weak, beat down smile, hang my head and say "it went okay." Fun is not a word I would use to describe it, and if there are people out there who can regularly do this on their own, my hat is off to them. I love my children, but I am much happier if I am not alone with them.