You know Those Days?
Those Days when the minutes crawwwwwwwlllll by? {How has it only been 9 minutes since I last looked???}
Those Days when you look at the clock and audibly groan when you see that it’s still only 2:35 in the afternoon? {No way. That’s gotta be wrong.}
Those Days when you seriously contemplate tricking your kids into thinking its way later than it is if you feed them dinner, shower them, put them in pjs, and tuck them in bed at…oh, I don’t know…4:45? {I read somewhere that lavender essential oils are calming…}
Monday. There. Those Days.
We had had a hectic weekend. A funeral. A birthday party. Church. Lunch at a friend’s.
Just non-stop.
By Monday, the kids were kinda sideways…and Mondays also happen to be the one day of the week when no one has school.
Truthfully, they weren’t really bad…they were just LOUD. And crazy with a side of insane. That’s them. Standing on a table. Playing air guitar.
And MESSY. Soaking wet from running in the sprinklers. While still clothed. {I said it was okay. But in hindsight, it probably wasn’t.}
Messier than usual. I felt like every room…ever CORNER…ever CREVICE of my house had some assortment of toys in it.
No matter how many times I picked stuff up…no matter how many times I bellowed for THEM to pick stuff up…it was STUFF.
ALL THE PLACES STUFF.
And did I mention they were louder than usual? Lots of laughing and pretend sword fighting…but hello, loud.
I basically wanted to cry when I realized it wasn’t even 3:00 yet.
Oh…and then there was the little detail that Andy had a dinner meeting that night.
Which meant that not only was he going to eat prime rib and drink local craft beers {uninterrupted might I add}…he was also going to be home late.
As in, well after bedtime late.
So, 3:00 didn’t mean 2 hours and 45 minutes until some reprieve…3:00 meant FIVE HOURS.
Hold me.
{As an aside, Andy does not understand why I get all wild eyed crazy when he gets home at 6:00 instead of 5:45. “It’s only 15 minutes later, Jeannett!” ONLY 15 minutes. Humph. Two words: Witching Hour. That’s a “thing” because it is real and it exists.}
So back to Monday…I was pretty desperate.
So desperate, in fact, that I loaded up all four kids into the car…something I try to avoid when I’m solo…because seriously, it’s gotta be really worth it to do all that lifting, heaving, buckling, and unbuckling…and I went to the drive thru.
I wasn’t even hungry.
And we had food at home.
But this wasn’t really about food. In fact, it wasn’t about food AT ALL.
This was about getting out of the house…strapping the kids down…in a way that I wouldn’t get arrested for…where they couldn’t touch each other…where they couldn’t make one. more. mess…
I drove to the furthest fast food joint from my house…in the next town over…the one with the notoriously long drive thru line…and I took the even longer way home…the way that makes me back track and go waaaay out of my way…
And then this.
They magically discovered…of all the days…of all the times…that they could screech at the same time. That ear piercing, your ears hear that whoosh of wind because it gets so high pitched screech? Yeah, that one.
But you know what?
I couldn’t even get mad at them.
They were playing.
Together.
Even the blonde.
She was imitating her siblings.
She was playing appropriately and they were all laughing.
TOGETHER.
Not just Henry and Lucy. Not just Jilly.
All of them.
And they were having fun.
So, basically, I had to laugh.
Because sometimes it’s Those Days that leave you no choice but to laugh. At the irony. At how you have so little control. At the beauty of Fun.Anything else and you’d lose your mind.
I vote laughing.
{Although, let’s face it, it took seeing those goofy faces cracking themselves up to embrace that. The rest of the day? I was not laughing. At all. Just keepin’ it real.}
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Sometimes you have to laugh so that you don’t cry. Right? Being able to find the humor in a frustrating situation has saved me many times. Finding something to be thankful for, even if it’s just that they are having so much fun together while they are being irritating, it’s what I like to call “a sacrifice of praise.” xo, ab
Anne @ anne b. good´s last blog post ..my week in review: 05/10-16
I know that group screech oh too well. And I know that 15 minutes. And I know what those dinner meetings felt like back when my kids were younger. (hell. it STILL feels like that!) And yes….all you can do is laugh. Because its better than the alternative.
karri´s last blog post ..Bye bye braces. Its Invisalign from here on out!
I totally get the “What’s the big deal I’m only 20 minutes later than normal???” Except I probably don’t have an excuse to get all wide eyed crazy, b/c I only have one kiddo and you have four! But thanks for the reminder to just laugh in the midst of the craziness!
Brittnie (A Joy Renewed)´s last blog post ..Clara’s 1st birthday party
Oh, I remember those days!!! Still have ’em, in fact. But it is a wee bit easier/different/maybe I’m numb now with a 6 & 8 year old. I love how the drive-through can be a help for those days! Good job surviving, Mama! And yes, witching hour? Totally true. 15 minutes making or breaking it? Again, true. Husbands getting to have uninterrupted schmoozing time? Yeah, been there. I’m still figuring out when I’m going to make it my turn. ;) There must be a blogger conference for the three posts a year bloggers, right? I’ll go anyway!
The 20 minutes from the time I get the “on my way” text are the longest, slowest, most painful 20 minutes of every day. I don’t get the time vortex that happens, but it happens every single time. I feel ya, girl.
Courtney´s last blog post ..Moore, you’ll be OK.
Confession: during ‘naptime’, my oldest runs into the youngest’s room and wakes her up. I used to get mad. Now the door closes behind her and I hear laugh and laugh.
Been there with those looonnnnggg days. When I put them to bed waayyyy early and they are sleeping when hubs comes home, I make out like they just went to sleep. Like just two minutes ago:)
Jessie´s last blog post ..embrace the camera
Oh dear heart, bless your soul. Hats off to you for being able to look back on your day. You know what I love about you the best (long time reader, sometimes commenter here), you give us a big window to your world and share both the great and the not so great. And not only that, you do it all with grace and honesty. I’m hoping that the rest of your week went better.
NJ @ A Cookie Before Dinner´s last blog post ..The truths under my tongue.
I am not there yet! First one’s coming in a few weeks. But I think it’s good for me to read all this stuff from you experienced moms so I can get the good ideas squeezed into my head early on. Thanks!
Bethany K´s last blog post ..I’m Funny! I Swear!
Oh, I have so done the car thing. Loved the part about strapping them in…in a way you won’t get arrested for! Love it.
Mamas Hands´s last blog post ..Our Sleep Manifesto
My husband is a firefighter and he doesn’t come home at night on days he works. Kills me. I’m usually jonesing for the girls bed time (8 mon & 20 mon) and then I have to make a conscious effort to invest it my boy (4 yrs) for the 45 mins he has me all to himself. I feel ya on those days.
Amy´s last blog post ..our weeks{s} in IG
oh heck yeah. i’ve had sooo many days like that. and seriously the hours between four and six are the longest hours of the day. and when he has a night meeting….i am so dramatic about it, basically. seriously, we just get in the car to drive around aimlessly and usually end up at sonic. i act like i’m doing it for them. ha.
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