ALRIGHT so I took a little bit of an unplanned blogging hiatus there….still trying to get into the swing of half day summer school for Gianna, plus there was all this laundry…..the most frustrating thing was that by the time I got us all caught up, there was more laundry. People still insist upon wearing clothes around here even when we’re in the midst of a laundry crisis. I thought about imposing austerity measures, but I’m no fool…I listen to NPR and it seems that’s not working so hot in Greece. I’m letting the current piles of soiled clothing fester for the moment.
The last two days have been THOSE kind of days…the ones where you lock your keys in the trunk of your car, and one kid is running a fever but you can’t find your thermometer, and the other kid is dying to go to the zoo like you prooooooooooooooooooooooooo-mised but it’s raining outside and I can’t control the rain ok! and no one will nap. And the other kid is….oh. Currently, I only have two….sometimes it seems like a lot more. Plus being generally tired and living in squalor and a husband who is working hard to keep this whole thing going…THAT kind of day.
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By mid-afternoon I was really starting to feel a little crazy….ok maybe lots crazy. And I heard my tone, and my words, and it was going to get ugly. What I needed was a re-charge, but what can you do in the middle of the day? There are times when a mama needs to change the mood in her home, and FAST. Short of calling CPS to deal with it all and heading out to a spa for a mani/pedi and a dose of sanity, these are my favorite ways to change my mood:
-Make a cup of tea. With a tea kettle. You might not actually get to sit and sip it while looking ponderously out the window, but something about holding a steaming mug of tea is calming. It helps me pretend my kitchen is cozy and not chaotic.
-Drop what you’re doing and grab a stack of children’s books. Park your bad self on the couch with your little guys and read to them. This technique brings some calm into the house and has the amazing benefit of making you feel like a FANTASTIC mother.
-consider possible careers you might qualify for; plumber, wet nurse, taxi cab driver.
-hop on YouTube and make a quick playlist of fun, upbeat songs you can dance and sing along to. It can be silly. It can even be Justin Beiber…..whatever it takes to get you moving.
-get outside. Take a short walk. Fresh air + Vitamin D=sanity
-say a short prayer, something like; “Holy Mary, help me!” is a good start.
-start a tickle-fest. Laughter is contagious.
-if you have access to your car keys, and a car, go for a drive and bring your cup of tea with you. The kids are strapped in, so they can’t hurt each other or destroy anything. Relax and enjoy your beverage.
-Fantasize about putting the kids to bed early.
Annnnnnne....Love this. You speak the words of my heart. And such good advice that I should have heeded yesterday when I almost called CPS on myself. Also, thanks for adding "if you have access to your car keys," because some people around here don't.
ReplyDeletegoing outside is mine. it's amazing how much i don't want to go outside when i'm crabby. and then i do and feel totally better. going to implement your others too!
ReplyDeleteThis is EXACTLY what my day has been. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU, i needed to know i am not alone.
ReplyDeleteall I can say is WOW Brad, WOW.
ReplyDelete