Just typing that title makes me laugh.
Out loud.
{picture is totally unrelated to topic...but I did catch Little Miss trying to change Dora's diaper!}
I've had a screaming headache for two days.
My family has had the flu again.
Not fair.
I've cleaned up my fair share of puke.
Including a crib full of puke that was slept in all night long
because Little Miss never cried out so I had no idea
until I opened the bedroom door in the morning and started dry heaving instantly.
I almost threw out the sheet but it was a favorite one.
Of course, she puked on a favorite one!
And because it is so gray outside...here on this first day of spring,
I'm feeling some raw emotions.
Which I feel like sharing here to remind me and everyone
else that this family is normal.
Nothing special going on over here....
except maybe loving on two babies that aren't ours...
that is kind of special...at least to us,
but we still have our downside and imperfections.
Oh lots of imperfections.
One in particular is this one....
Sometimes, just sometimes,
I let my kids stay home from school.
I call them mental health days.
I'm starting to think they are more mental health days for me
than for them.
Although usually on those days,
they are having a hard time pulling it together in the morning.
And I'm not up for the challenge.
But it usually because I mismanaged the night before.
Or scheduled a crazy busy week that has caught up to us.
{I've shared about this before on the blog, but only the pretty side of it.}
But on those mental health days the mornings are so sweet.
I usually go buy them some breakfast.
Like donuts.
And not just one donut, but a dozen donuts
for us to eat throughout the whole day.
We usually dispose of the box before Dave gets home
so I don't get the disapproving, but loving look from him.
Because it's usually then that he asks if the kids stayed home from school too.
For no reason....he says.
He wasn't raised with mental health days.
Oh and I let them watch TV all day long.
They do nothing else except sit in front of the tube watching netflix.
Now you might be thinking...oh that is the sweetest mom.
You are perfect. You are doing the right thing.
Listening to what your children need.
But here is where it changes.
Usually around 4:00 pm or so, when I am so sick of hearing the TV on,
I snap on them.
Oh ya...I snap. And get all crazy.
Usually start raising my voice and asking repeatedly to
turn off the TV...mid show.
How dare I. So not fair to them.
But there is no stopping it.
Then I start giving them a verbal list of a few chores.
Kaia cringes...she hates verbal lists.
Blake usually ignores me.
Because he is the baby and gets away with it.
Which then makes me go into
'Hello....Hello....anyone hear me' rant.
And that reminds me of McFly on Back to the Future.
But I continue with my verbal list and rant about chores.
Laundry, dishes, bed making and bedroom clean up.
Because normally I have taken the day off with them.
Around 4:00 mental health day ends.
Mommy becomes the wicked witch and we are back to reality.
What started off feeling so right ends with frustration about a wasted day.
And poor Dave walks in around 5:00 when all kinds of unhappy is going on.
And guess what...he joins in with the unhappy and it is such a delightful
home to be in at the time. {total sarcasam}
Am I exaggerating.
Not really.
And I think you will believe me.
And hopefully will add....
same thing happening over here.
Just keeping it real here.
So you know we are all in this together!
This thing called REAL LIFE.

What is it about that 4:00 hour that turns us into Monsters no matter what kind of day we have had? I tell myself I am not going to yell and then what do I do...yell. We are all in this together, April!
ReplyDeleteWhat is it about that 4:00 hour that turns us into Monsters no matter what kind of day we have had? I tell myself I am not going to yell and then what do I do...yell. We are all in this together, April!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this, April. This week has been kind of rough on me, and seeing everyone's blog, where everything is so happy and perfect, was really getting me down. I started feeling sorry for myself. It's nice to know that everyone has some off days, and I'm not the only one with an imperfect life.
ReplyDeleteDear April. I have a post titled this EXACT thing in my drafts lol. you are amazing whether you believe it or not right now! you are!!! and thanks for sharing you make me feel better.
ReplyDeleteApril, I kid you not. This exact scenario has happened at my house. Right down to the box of donuts that we sneakily hide in the garbage can so that dad doesn't see our slothfulness. I agree that the truth is some days I am just not up to the challenge of getting everyone and their lunches and their homework out the door and a day at home watching movies all cozylike together in our pajamas sounds like the best idea ever. Until, it gets old and the house looks like a disaster, and everyone starts getting irritated with each other.
ReplyDeleteI can relate to this blogpost more than any other. Thanks for sharing your imperfect, but oh so beautiful anyways life! I love you!
Still the luckiest kids ever. 4 pm crabby mommy and all. Love this post.
ReplyDeleteI grew up saying, "I'm not going to yell at my kids." Hahahaa! If I only knew what being a parent was like! Some days it is just too much work day after day after day of running like crazy. I do the same thing at our house. You're a great mom and those kids are blessed to have you & Dave and your wonderful examples.
ReplyDelete