Daylight Devastation

These kids...they look so innocent. But there is a day once a year that is bound to throw them off their game for at least 2 weeks. It is not a holiday (although it once was one in my mind). It's Daylight Savings. While everyone without young children gain an hour, my kids are up an hour early in the new clock time. Which means breakfast at 6am new time...which means filling time 3 hours before church...which means Mama better start learning to like coffee because it is not acceptable to eat chocolate before the sun is up, so says Ms. Manners.
I thought I was prepared. I knew it would be bad but this is my 5th Daylight Savings with children...I'm no rookie. But no my friends, yesterday everything and everyone were gunning for us.
It started out pretty good, minus the boys protesting loudly from their room because they were awake but the time on their alarm was not letting them get up yet. We had waffles, we cuddled, and I even let Pat sleep 15 minutes later than usual on his morning to sleep in. Because I was in this generous "can't touch me" Daylight Savings spirit. But then Pat got dressed and looked for his wallet and the stuff hit the fan...
Wallet...gone. His Iphone...gone. And we were all over town the day before so he had no idea where he could have left it. He darted out the door at 7:30 am to try to retrack his steps and be home in time to leave for church at 8:30. I got the boys playing and told them I was putting Lilah down for her nap. Right as she falls asleep, Fin kicks in the door to tell me that Cole was gone and running around outside. People...this child does not go out by himself and it was a solid 45 degrees outside and...oh yea, he was running around neighborhood without a parent. I put a now fully awake and crying Lilah in her crib and flew outside with no bra, wearing XXL shirt of Pat's and my pink Santa pajama pants, O yes I did!
I see Cole at the stop sign with a grin on his face...DANCING...until he saw my face and hauled his little soon-to-be-spanked butt home. One spanking, several tears, and a napped Lilah later we were ready to leave for church. Except Pat still couldn't find his wallet that had a lot of valuable things in it. And his phone. And while we tried to figure out a game plan I swear my children multiplied from 3 to 76 because everyone was talking at once and I could.not. form a thought in my head. So I took the kids to church while he stayed behind to keep looking.
Just as I arrived at church, a thought popped into my head of where it could be. But I had no way of letting Pat know because he had no phone. So my saint of a sister Sarah took the kids into Sunday School while I raced 20 min back home to try to find Pat and let him know. I drove around and found him in the Target parking lot where I ripped open the top of the canopy on the stroller and....there was his wallet and phone. People...moments like these can make or break a marriage. Luckily we were both so relieved we hugged it out, I told him he owed me big time, and we rushed back to church before Sunday School let out. We even made it back in time for the end of the sermon.
Except...When I went to take Lilah out of her carseat I realized she had had a poop-explosion allllllll over herself. So we christened the new minivan by changing her in there. And we made it to pick up the kids on time just to hear from Fins Sunday School teachers that Fin came in and immediately announced, "My brother ran away and my mom is really overwhelmed". Thanks Fin, thanks :o)

We survived. We all apologized to each other from stressful reactions and we ate bagels and had a merry ol' time. But I've learned a lesson. You cannot beat Daylight Savings. It will always win. Don't get cocky...and for goodness sake, always lock the doors when putting the baby down for her nap.