Home alone with two children

This is my first week alone with two kids. My mother is out of town and will be back at our place only for a few days before going back to India. Day 1 was better than expected. I have designated Ads as my "special helper". Foolishly, I also promised to make him a badge saying "Mommy's special helper". What idiocy - I am barely able to get the essential tasks done :( I am hoping his elephantine memory will fail him for once.

Yesterday afternoon I actually managed to hit the snooze button for 30-40 minutes, lying on our bed with a kid on either side of me. That was very unexpected and very welcome . Y was the surprise package - I think she must be teething. She was so cranky all of last evening. S took Ads out on some errands but Y would not let me put her down. I put her into my sling and managed to do some cooking, all the while swaying in an up-down vertical motion (this sequence of movements is guaranteed to soothe her and make her drowsy) I must remember to stretch my gluteals while holding her so as to tone muscles that are shortly going to atrophy from disuse.

Ads has been doing alright at school. He has a hard time when I drop him off in the mornings. I get about a hundred kisses and several very tight hugs from him. Fat tears collect in his beautiful eyes and he wants to know whether I will pick him up the afternoon. "Pick me up", he keeps repeating like a broken record. I keep the farewell unhurried but firm and gently hand him over to one of his teachers, who have an activity ready to distract him. Y provides backup vocals in the form of loud and sustained wailing. It's a little difficult to provide the few minutes of undivided attention which Ads needs, while also frantically rocking the car seat and trying to ignore the (mostly sympathetic) looks from the other parents. Today Y was being pacified by all three teachers in the classroom while I was pacifying Ads!