It Takes a Village to Write a Novel

This morning was as crazy a Shabbat morning as they come.  By 7:15 AM I had retrieved all the children from their beds and schlepped them back to the Big Bed, changed three diapers andthree little bottoms were clamoring for the same space in the crook of my arm.  At 7:30 my phone chirped that it had a text message for me.  I rolled my eyes and wondered who was trying to communicate with me at this ungodly hour.  A few minutes later, the ringtone reserved for my sister answered the question. 
"Good morning, Auntie Al," I slurred, ducking away from a chocolate donut the baby was trying to shove into my mouth. 
"I have a massage appointment today, but I'd rather sit home and cuddle with the dog.  And I have to go to Wal-Mart.  You can take it if you want." 
"Let me think about it," I said, watching the melee unfold before me. 
Two hours later, I had to start getting dressed if I was going to make it to the appointment.  "Should I go?"
"Yeah, hon, go."  My husband's face was calm amidst a storm of flying toys and screaming children that would unsettle most adults.  I raised an eyebrow at him.   "No, seriously, go.  I'm fine." 

An hour later, I was undressed and sandwhiched between two giant electric blankets on a massage table.  Renee told me she was going to do a lot of stretching and deep-tissue massage, and instructed me to let her know if she was massaging too hard.
"I don't think that'll be a problem." I informed her. "Just...could you dim the lights?  And do you mind if I listen to this audiobook?"
I spent the next hour being blissfully man(woman?)handled and listening to Shiver in the warm darkness.  It is hard to say who I love most today: my sister, my husband, Maggie, or Renee.  They all conspired to make me relax and they WON.

I spent the rest of the day ducking flying toys and random foodstuffs and  the serving as the choicest seat in the house once again.  After the massage, though, I had a much better attitude about it all.  I even managed to tap out something substantial while juggling the little gremlins sweeties. (See?)

Words Written Today: 678
Total Words: 65,553
Listening to: "Change" by Taylor Swift
Obsessed with: Fruit candied popcorn from the mall.  The green ones.