Don't push your luck

We met some friends at our favorite place (MoBot) a few weeks ago.  I didn't get many pictures (it really is getting so hard by myself), but I got this one. 

I almost didn't even post this picture, since it was kind of a loner, but then I remembered what was hard about this day.  I was totally at the end of my rope with sleeping (I had just gotten the peapods the day before), the kids were exhausted, and it was about 10 million degrees out. 

We packed a lunch but had played a long time before lunch with one girl and her kids.  We hiked back to the front of the gardens to eat lunch and meet another friend.  I SHOULD HAVE just left after lunch.  This is the kind of thing where I just push a bit too far...but I hadn't had a chance to visit with Emily (the other girl hiked back to meet) and I wanted to. 

So we hiked back over to the children's garden.  We were there for about 10 minutes and I realized it was a bad plan.  They were going to play in the water but a field trip was there, and they were wearing orange (um, that is MY color!), so I didn't let my kids in.  They were hot and tired but then they saw the market, their favorite place to play.  But by that point I was done....my stress level had just reached its max...but they wanted to stay.  I ended up having to bodily haul away 2 of the boys crying/screaming, with Emily carrying the third.  Since I only bring the 2 seater wagon to MoBot, there were only 2 seats.  That day they had decided (since they were hot and exhausted) that there was NO WAY that all 3 of them would sit in it like they normally do.  But I had a big backpack on my back (to carry lunch and 4 water bottles and diapers and wipes and a change of clothes), which made it hard for me to carry a kid on my hip.  And there was no way that third kid could WALK.  So I chose N (the lightest by about 8 pounds) and threw him up on my shoulders, then had to walk BACK to get Z who was still playing with his friends. 

Then my whole entourage had to trek all the way out of the gardens and to the car, like that.  Z holding my hand.  N on my shoulders (and he rests his chin on my head, so every step I take his jaws clap together.  I have no clue why he likes that/does that but he does even after I repeatedly tell him to stop).  C and L in the wagon strapped in.  Huge backpack on my back.  Me sweating like crazy.  And wearing my sunglasses because NO WAY did I want to make eye contact with anyone and have them decide to engage me in conversation (wow, your hands are full!  YES THEY ARE.)

And that is why you don't push your luck.  Just stop and go home.