4 kids, a car that won't crank, and a bird

Billy went out of town today. He has gone to Washington, DC to the grand opening of this restaurant. His company did all the branding and such for it. He wasn't going to go, but I encouraged it. It will be good to see the fruits of his labor! So that begins the day. We skipped church because he thought his flight was leaving at 1:30 today. This morning I made a mad dash to the grocery store without any helpers and he packed to go. He was leaving at 11:30, which was plenty of time for him to get to the airport. About 2 1/2 minutes after he "left" he comes in flustered and says "My car won't start and my plane leaves at 1:10." His car won't start, thats just great. Ok, so we load everyone up - which means short car naps which lead to cranky children. He tells me to speed. About halfway to the airport he gets a text saying the plane is delayed. Whew, he'll make it. Well, the plane was very delayed and his connecting flight in Detroit is also delayed. He may still be in Detroit as I write this. So, Billy's gone and I have to work tonight. I keep the nursery at a local church on Sunday and Wednesday nights. I have lost nap time and I need a shower. I send all the kids upstairs and lock the doors and take a marathon shower while AB watches Abe. Get my shower, kids play while I pack dinner for them and get ready for church. After getting everyone ready, I am gathering the necessary bags to leave and my older kids go out the door, and come back in, and go out again. I am yelling while running around like a chicken with my head cut off looking for MC's white bow saying "Stay inside, don't let the baby out, close the door, etc." (I'm not yelling at them, I just have to yell so they can hear me from my various locations in the house) So, I'm in the kitchen checking off my mental list of things I need and they come in wide eyed saying there is a bird in the house. Yes. A bird flew in my front door and was in our front room perched on the blinds trying to figure out how to fly through the window. I open the front door, get a broom, and try to get the bird to fly out the door. Not happening. At this point I am running late. I start lecturing to my children that this is why you should obey mommy and stay inside, until I am ready to leave. Yeah, because birds ALWAYS fly in my house when you don't obey - nevermind that your little brother could get runover in the street.

Billy's out of town, and I have a bird in my house which is not cooperating at all. The bird would fly from my blinds to the top of the china cabinet and then back. So, what do I do? Realizing I need help, I ask the neighbor (who is getting in the car to take his family to a cook out with his NEW BOSS) to come assist - thankfully he did. So here we go, I have a broom trying to wave the bird out the door and my neighbor is scaring him out of our front room. Well, rather than flying out the door, he flies up above the door into a window. (for those who haven't been to my house, I have a two story foyer and den with windows all around the top). The bird flies from window to window while I am waving a broom to try and divert him to an exit. While all this is going on my oldest daughter and one of her friends are screaming "Don't kill it, Don't kill it." The bird spots a window without blinds, thinks he has a clean getaway and knocks himself out flying into the window. I run to get paper towels before it regains conciousness but I'm too late. Stunned the bird hobbles down the steps and back into the front room - right past an open door. By this point it has regained all of its faculties and we manage to get it into the 1/2 bath. I close the door and my neighbor goes in and opens that window, takes off the screen and shoos the bird outside. I'm late, he's late, and he's sweating profusely. Just another day at the Ivey's.