The Chaos Theory

I have come to the conclusion that our house is at the center of the Chaos Theory. Chaos: "When the present determines the future, but the approximate present does not approximately determine the future".  I'm not entirely sure what that means, but it pretty much sums up my Monday evening.  

After carpooling the swim team, taking Lindsay to work and then racing home to meet Grady & Sid, I have to listen to Grady grizzle about the amount of homework he has. Half an hour later Simon (18 months) & Elliot (3) arrive for the evening, and we are in full swing.  
My boss picks that moment to call and as I have one ear to the phone I am making frantic gestures to Sid to intervene between the boys as Elliot covers his brother's head in stickers, all the while trying to help Grady translate his essay into French. Sid unfortunately is more concerned with building a tower of dominoes which promptly come toppling down with an almighty crash an inch from my ear. The smoke alarm is wailing and the dog is frantically barking from behind a baby gate on the stairs. I'm not entirely sure if he wants to play with the boys or eat them, better err on the side of caution. But, so far so good. All under control relatively speaking.

Next my cell phone starts to buzz and there is a text from Alyssia, the barn manager.  Lacey has decided to knock down the fence and take the herd walkabout through the countryside.  Unfortunately that wasn't the end of the matter and texts came through fast and furious as Alyssia updates me on Lacey's  exploits for the day. Not content with a mass exodus and once she realizes that the fun is over and it is time to return to the farm, she decides to lead all the horses on to the pond.  I for one am thankful for the long harsh winter and the extra thick layer of ice.

So taking stock, I have one child covered in stickers, another scrambling for dominoes, a third chasing the cats and the last threatening to bin his homework, a barking dog, burnt dinner (hence the smoke alarm), a runaway horse and my boss still on the phone vying for my attention. The Chaos Theory has nothing on my house.