I am so frustrated I don't even know where to begin. This morning, this is what I woke up to: Spencer screaming 'mama......mama' getting louder each time. The girls were dancing around the kitchen like naked aborigenees (sp?) even though they know they are supposed to be quiet in the morning. And this was at 6:20. Oh my GOSH. This is the third day my kids have been on their out-of-school hyperactive rant. Maybe I shouldn't have given them jello and two kinds of pie yesterday. I am even tempted to feed them more pie this morning, just out of laziness. When I woke up on Wednesday I felt so good - I was looking forward to just spending structure-free time with my kids. The high ended when I came down the stairs, though. I don't know why, but I decided that I wanted to push to finish my book that day. So I sat on the couch all day, only stopping to make food for the kids and bark out 'I SAID sit down and watch t.v.......go upstairs if you can't be quiet.....JUST GO PLAY IN THE BASEMENT!'. Spencer cooperated nicely. He sat on the couch next to me with his nigh-night and his ee-ee (blanket/binki), and took about a 3 1/2 hour nap. The girls, on the other hand, made it their personal quest to get into as much trouble as they could. They tore their room apart several times, they decided to play in the plant they took from my father's funeral by putting their princesses and care bears inside it, then got soil all over their room when they took the toys out, they overwatered the plant AFTER I TOOK IT AWAY AND PUT IT IN THEIR BATHROOM, flooding the counter. During all this they kept wrestling and screaming and just being kids, but I JUST COULDN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE. So we went to Carls Jr. for dinner and Sean had been home about five minutes before he said 'what's wrong with you guys today - you're giving me a headache.' Yeah, honey. Try living with them all day.
Yesterday went much the same, maybe a degree or two better. I had determined after Wednesday that I would not try and work on my book, that I would just spend time with the kids. They were all up at 6:00 a.m., so I grudgingly layed on the couch while they watched t.v. Let me tell you, MY CHILDREN ARE INCAPABLE OF SILENCE. I mean, seriously - how the FREAK do they have all that energy at six in the morning? By the time the t.v. went off I was just irritated. I sequestered myself in my room and took a long hot bath, feeling better about the day, until I realized it was only 9:30. See, my spirits brighten considerably around 10:40 every day, when it's acceptable to start thinking about what to make the little demons for lunch. Then it's onto nap time, and it starts to go downhill from there. I spent a good part of the day cooking, and it felt good. Of course, a good mother would have gathered her children around her and let them help her make pie, savoring the memories for years go come. It reminds me of an article you might see in an old issue of Woman's Day. My holiday spread went something a little more like this: 'What is WRONG with you guys - GET AWAY FROM ME, I'M MAKING PIES HERE.' After dinner I decided we should all just sit down and watch a movie. The girls picked 'the parent trap', which I was grateful for since that meant I didn't have to watch Barbie as the Island Princess for the umpteenth time. Do you think my girls were quiet through the movie? I swear, the only thing they know how to do is make noise. By the time I got them in bed I felt horrible - mostly because I have done nothing but yell at them and say 'just go watch t.v.' over and over the past two days. We went to a friend's house to play games and gorge ourselves on pie, and at least I was able to laugh so hard that my face hurt by the time we left.
Now it is 7:49 a.m., and this day is looking much the same. I am all achey for reaasons unknown, and I want to go take a Tyelnol, though a Percocet would do the job nicely. Good thing I don't have any. I am afraid of going anywhere in the car today, lest I jerk the wheel into a bridge abutment in my frustration. I am seriously considering a handsome slice of apple pie for breakfast, and I am relishing the thought of my chilrens' faces when I tell them they can't have any because they are too hyper and the sugar isn't good for them.
WHY DOES IT HAVE TO BE SO HARD? Do me a favor, please. If you have made it to the end of this then you have more patience than I do. Please leave me a little comment and tell me one or two things you do to stay positive about being home with small children - just some little way you try to enjoy them. I am obviously doing something wrong here.
14 comments:
Well, I'm about this way 95% of the time too. I keep my sanity by watching Supernanny and I realize how they are actually complete angels. If that doesn't work I think about how they could all be wheelchair bound or dying of cancer and it perks me right up.
HOWEVER, nothing speaks volumes like a good pedi and shopping for shoes. WITHOUT THEM.
Oh Misty, you seriously crack me up... and I think all kids are incapable of being quiet! I call it "center of the universe syndrome" you know, their the center, and no one or nothing else exists, except to make them happy! Believe me, my kids have it too. Actually, I think Rich might have a bit of it himself :) ah well. Play a game with your kids, and if that doesn't work, play play doh... I love that stuff. Your kids will sense if you're trying to push them aside for other things, and then they are just that much worse. If all else fails, call me and come over to my house and play!
Now I don't want kids!
Oh Misti, I'm sorry!
I have so been there too though. It's especially hard for me in the winter when we can't go to the park or just play outside and we are stuck indoors all day. I often find myself saying those exact things to my children, then feeling horrible about it later.
I don't know if this will help, but when I find myself just wanting some me-time and telling my kids to go watch TV, I try and stop myself and ask my kids what they would like to do with Mommy. It usually end up that we play dinosaurs (which I hate) or play with play-doh, but it seems like if they get more Mommy time, they are happier, and I am usually happier then I thought I would be. Does that make sense? Well, if you need to vent, you can call me anytime! Hope you have a good day today! Tell Sean to give you some time off tonight :)
thank you guys for all your comments. jeannie - i am hoping sean is planning a pedicure for our anniversary - and supernanny has the effect on me too.
amy - as well you shouldn't.
amber - i think you're right. i keep pushing them away and so they lay it on thicker.
becky - i am totally going christmas shopping without the kids today. you have the right idea!
My kids have been out of school the entire week and I am there with ya girl! Yesterday was good because they were distracted by cousing but they are on one today! Good thing daddy is home and mommy is hiding in her room.
I don't know what advice to give you except that making sure I say my prayers every morning before I get up does help.
Don't worry babe I have something better then pedicures planned for our anniversary. It will be good times
I always remember that tomorrow has to be better. I mean, it does right? If it can't get any worse, it must get better. Right? RIGHT?
Nah, I just tell myself that sometimes it sucks. It just does. But I also know that I wouldn't want it any other way. Can't have the good without the bad...opposition in all things.
Whatever my friend. Everybody has a crappy time sometimes. Then for some reason, when anything in kids' daily routine changes, they act crazy. As if you just pulled the rug out from under them. Here is my advice:
1) Go ahead, eat the pie for breakfast. I did. (And no one said you have to share.) I love pie for breakfast, it almost tastes better for breakfast than for dessert.
2) Keep 'em off their game by doing things that you don't do at that time of day, or don't do on a weekday. This always catches my evil monkeys off-guard. Like a random art project, trip to the park, hike/walk, etc.
Love you lots!
lol...so great..Well, it could be worse. Sean could be gone, with no cell phone number to call him for 7months...and counting. lol.. SO HARD!! But your friend Becky is right. It's the only cure. You have to plug back in....it's not right is it! We should live closer...we have the same life, except you have the husband! lol Hope the next few days get better!! Love you! :)
Kindergarten....that is how I enjoy motherhood! Oh, but we are on a break well let's see....sorry I am no help! I ask myself the questions...what would something fun to do with the kids but then I don't seem to have the patience to actually follow through with the plan or a quarter of a way through the activity I am having some sort of mental breakdown. I like the comment about prayer....now that is something I can do and something I know is successful!
Misty, I have days like that too... and unfortuanatly I just let my children do whatever and live for the time that my husband gets home. Other then that, I can't really think of what else I do (excpet grunt and groan when they ask me to do something, especially at 9:00 at night when they are supposed to be sleeping and they are not.) I am probably not much help... sorry
There was an article in Real Simple magazine - at least 3 times a week write in a gratitude journal the things you are grateful for and they said that those people who do that are much happier than those who don't by a large percentage. There is joy to be had all around us - something I discovered when I was laying in bed for 9 months very sad about not being able to raise my own children and sad that my hair all fell out during chemo. Yep, Joy! During all the crap that goes on, Heavenly Father expects us to be grateful and find the joy. It's against our carnal nature, I know. I have my moments too - lots of them. I miss the energy I used to have, I miss being healthy, I miss my good skin, etc. The other day when it seemed that the bad was going to swallow up the good, I watched Haeley run across the field to her grandma and grab her hand and look up and smile. I saw her strong legs carry her quickly, and her smile as she was able to meet up with her grandma, and it just about took my breath away the gratitude I felt in that little moment for having grandparents near, for Haeley's health and strength, and during the rest of the crappy day I hung onto that feeling and replayed that moment in my head. I realize I almost wasn't hear to raise her or see that moment. So I am grateful for the little things, in the middle of all the crappy things. (oh yeah, 26 people in a cabin for 4 days in the middle of nowhere - 14 of which are under the age of 8 and every couple had a meal they made except I had to make a meal of my own because no one cares that I can't eat wheat - someone even whined that I wouldn't share my special wheat free cornbread muffins even though there were 6 dozen fresh homemade rolls I would have loved to eat instead). Anyway, I'll try harder to think about the good if you will. We could make a goal or even t-shirts. I'm so kidding, but you know what I mean. We all help each other out.
i have so many days like this! it's so hard. when i was pregnant with kylie, i kept a journal and now i go back and read it just to remind myself that at one time i actually WANTED kids ;)
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