Jumping Ship

It has been the day from h-e-double-hockey-sticks.

First, it took Small Fry twenty minutes to not get dressed this morning.  And then she had the gall to tell me that she didn't want to get dressed.

I about blew a gasket.

I got downstairs and Large Fry already had her jacket on and zipped up, and was standing there eating a Pop-Tart.  Shoes on, too.

This is what we in the parental biz call a clue, except it didn't register (until now, sadly).  I made her take it off.  In fact, coupled with the shoes, it was very critical evidence.  Mommy-radar must have been on the fritz.

And then I did a double-take.

Written on her short-sleeved, tie-dyed shirt--since I had insisted that, with a high of 78, she needed to not wear long sleeves today--were the words "jump ship."

In marker.

It was a Migraine Salute moment.

I sent her upstairs to change her shirt.

It's important to note here that "ship" is the first syllable of the name of our town.

It's also important to note here that, because I have younger twins, and because I have all girls, almost everything Large Fry has in her closet and dresser has been bought in pairs.

She came down wearing the duplicate of yesterday's shirt.

I sent her back up.

We were nearly late to school.

Small Fry then proceeded to have separation anxiety of an unprecedented nature when I dropped the twins off at preschool.  I think her teacher got more than a little concerned.  At least I was able to leave.

I came home, had what was essentially brunch, and managed to clean the girls' bathroom upstairs.  Which brought to mind the crisis of epic proportions in terms of bath linens and the fact that Mitzy will be staying with us for a couple of days next week.  Erm...add a stop at Kmart to today's list of things to do.

I did a load of jeans, since the kids were running low.  Then I washed the bathroom rugs from the girls' bathroom.

I was just about to treat myself to ice cream when the alert notification sounded on my phone, reminding me that Large Fry had a counseling appointment in 15 minutes.  So much for ice cream.

Counseling appointment, Kmart, pick up twins.  Large Fry wanted pizza muffins for dinner.  Again.  For the third night in a row.  I nixed that.  Guess what Small Fry wanted for dinner?  Oy.  No.  No pizza muffins!  I noticed that Large Fry had some odd dark coloring on her pink socks, but I also knew she got really into the fingerpaint at the counselor's and chalked it up to that when Large couldn't tell me.

The twins wanted to ride bikes when we got home.  Our adopted kitty (she adopted us, and lives somewhere in the near vicinity) watched them and begged for attention...none of which stopped the quibbling as I tried to supervise Large's homework and make dinner.

Then Medium Fry came in and said, "Lawrge, why do you have writing on youwr socks?"

I looked over, startled, and sure enough...she had written "jump ship" on both socks.  Twice.

Argh!


It wasn't until I was over at the youth house, dropping off a DVD for Tab for youth group tonight, that I got clued in.

I related what had happened.

"Well, at least it's real words," Tab commiserated.

"Yes, and I'm about to!"  I dropped my head down on the youth house kitchen's counter.

"Well, yeah, but it's also a local school thing.  I think it might start in 3rd grade--" the last grade that's in Large's elementary school "--but it's really the intermediary school, fourth through sixth.  It's a group of kids who do jump rope tricks.  They're really good.  You have to audition and everything."

And, naturally, the troupe is called Jump Ship.

Duh.

I have a headache, and piles of laundry to go before I sleep.

At least we were all able to Skype with Hubby tonight, which was a first for this week.  And we'll get to Skype again in the morning.

I'm definitely having ice cream now.