Sunshine and Chocolate

Do you ever feel like it's hard?  Like the day at hand is just...hard?  I keep thinking of that song Walking on Sunshine, and how I'm not walking on sunshine.  I think of people like the Pioneer Woman, who keeps a blog about her life out in the country, and she never really complains about things.  Sure, she "whines" about her hubby getting her up at 4:30 in the morning to go work the cattle, but I can tell she's not really complaining.  Don't get me wrong, I love reading her site (I'm addicted, in fact) and she's a wonderful story-teller, but can her life really be all sunshine and chocolate cake?  It's just not like that here.  Well, the chocolate cake part, yes, but the sunshine part, not so much.

Today has been the kind of day that just feels like it's pushing you down from the get-go.  I hurried Christian to school just on time because everyone woke up late this morning (oops, I didn't set an alarm for myself).  I found out school was closing early because of some bad weather that was coming.  I raced to two grocery stores with my girls in order to get bread and stuff for Christian's birthday (which is tomorrow!) all the while thinking about how we had not been able to make a great birthday party plan for him this year-and feeling bad about it.  Once home, I threw the cold stuff into the kitchen and breathlessly asked Mike to put it away so I could run over and pick up Christian.  I'm super paranoid about the icky-sickies that seem to be going around the school, and worried about the household becoming a vomit factory.  We did lunch, which went smoothly, and then I could not get Eliana to go to sleep for her afternoon nap.  The child refused to sleep.  R-E-F-U-S-E-D.  I finally left her in her bed (I was in there with her, because she has been going to sleep in her bed lately, while I stand there quietly and it wasn't taking very long, so I thought we were on to something new) and she was howling.  I could only stand that for about 15 minutes, because she definitely wasn't toning it down.  So, I went in and got her, and put her in the high chair with some yogurt...maybe she was too hungry to go to sleep?  She was sitting there with Michaela in the dining room, and I went to unload and reload the dishwasher in anticipation of dinnertime.  I discovered this when I returned a moment later to the dining room...

She finally gave in...the poor girl had her head down on her tray with one hand in her yogurt; some of her bangs were in there too.  It was sad and funny all at the same time.  I cleaned her up gently and leaned her seat back and she slept for about an hour.  This was actually one of the most pleasant parts of the day.  Maybe I should reflect on that a little bit. 

Christian was busy with a Lego project and Michaela was reading on the couch.  I looked at some emails, finished a couple of things in the kitchen, sat with Christian a minute.  He wanted a snack, so I got him cheese and crackers.  All of these things were so peaceful.  That was nice, now that I think about it.  On this very gray, dismal, cold, true winter day, there was a little sunshine. 

Things really were fine for the rest of the afternoon, as we headed toward the dinner hour (or two).  The (big) kids played together in our schoolroom/playroom, and worked on thank you notes, and were sweet and silly with Eliana.  Christian had a couple of moments grouching about having to write.  I just let him be for a while.  Then he brought me this...

Is it getting warm in here, or is it just me?  I think I need to go get my sunglasses...

Bedtime was a little trying.  Eliana again refused to go in her bed (which, at night, she has been doing beautifully for a LONG time now-so this was very weird).  I was attempting to be compassionate, thinking something might be up-teeth coming in, new separation anxiety phase, having to poop.  Yep, that's the one.  She pooped, at 9:00 p.m.  Very odd.  So, I got her out of her bed and changed her diaper and took her back to bed.  Meanwhile, the other two, shall we call them "Frick" and "Frack", were trying to avoid going to bed because of all manner of ailments.  Which actually happened to be real ones, although strange.  Finally, everyone was in bed and the house was quiet; the steady whir of the dishwasher, and the quiet tumbling of the dryer were music to my ears. 

I want to add a little bit here about my husband, as he is strangely missing from my synopsis of the day (oh, except for rescuing me in my getting-cold-groceries-put-away moment)...he is finishing up his dissertation.  Enough said, eh?

So, we all managed to survive this day that at first glance seemed so tough, and what with all this apparent sunshine I think I will enjoy some chocolate cake as I bask in it.  Actually, it's chocolate chip cheesepie, but that will do.  And from now on, you can just call me...

I Just Couldn't Help It

Would you be able to, if she were around you and you had a camera?  I think not...

And this is what happens when I say,"Smile!  Can you smile?"

Holey Things-You-Don't-Normally-Notice

Did you know that the on-the-faucet Brita filtration system's purified water hole is not a hole?  It isn't.  It's a lot of holes.  Like, fifteen.  I know!  I think that is very funny. 

I am in need of some comedy around here.  Please, someone help me with this...

By the way, here is why I was looking closely at my filter-I happened to notice (and how could it have taken so long?  It must've just been since I did the dinner dishes, yeah, that's right.) something lovely on the filter.

Ewww.  That's even grosser than I thought.  But that's what made me lean over and check out the filter; I was thinking (and actually said out loud to myself),"What the heck is that?!"  I'm pretty sure it's just bean soup from tonight.  Oh, but I don't know about that other stuff to the right.  Is this Christina we're talking about?  Is that really her Brita filter that she drinks out of?!

But look, count them...fifteen holes!  It comes out in such a compact stream; I never would have thought that!  Oh, and here is the filter now...

Better, no?  Ahhh, cleaner water and a clean water cleaner.  Life is good.  Weird, but good.

Cheeky

I ran lots of errands today,

Came home, dinner got under way.

Things were going quite awesome, when I thought of my bottom

And remembered the brown paint had stayed.

A Limerick

No Ranting, Lots of Railing

After running errands with me this afternoon for a hundred hours (or three) (hours not hundreds) the kids discovered the train track set in the living room.  It had been relocated after a long period of "hiding" under another table in our schoolroom/playroom.  Because of its previous lodging, it had suffered neglect for ages, abandoned for other more accessible toys, and through no fault of its own. 

But today, today the railroad tracks saw the light of day again.  Today the tracks were handled with eager hands, busy hands, constructive hands.  Today the tracks emerged from a dark place of desertion, from their disregarded state, from being ignored and overlooked, and with victory and glory and dignity once again, they were laid down.

The real beauty of this construction lies in the peaceful development of the track between the head engineers, who otherwise can be real head-butters when it comes to designing something of this magnitude (or choosing who gets what scissors, or who gets to stand on what chair in the kitchen-I don't have stools, just little chairs-or who gets out of the car first...).

They made a whole town, populated by people, animals, trees, and buildings.

They were thrilled with their handiwork, and I must say, so was I. 

An evening of such calm and creative interaction gives me such happiness that I cannot express it properly.  I cherish these moments as a mom, watching my kids getting along so sweetly, so contentedly, so cooperatively.  I hope that they will remember these happy times too, with joy, when they are older.