Im not sure about you, but when 4 o'clock rolls around, I feel the inner beast within start to growl a little. It doesn't take much for me to let out an audible roar every now and then. Today, I am still very much under the California jet lag spell. I had to get Solomon off to school by 7:40 today. That alarm went off at 6:15 and I am pretty sure I threw an inner tantrum. It was painful to get out of bed. I got coffee brewing, washed my face with ice cold water and started packing a lunch, making breakfast and ditching some of the zombie remnants that was whispering to me, "get back in bed" haha. We made it. He was off to school on time. I came home, worked on the volunteer schedule for children's ministry and sent out some emails. Then I started nursing cup of coffee numero dos, got dressed, cleaned the kitchen and caught up with a friend I hadn't seen in 50 billion years (yeah, that's a LONG time). Then I was off to Trader Joes for some organic grass fed beef and organic free range chicken. Its a 45 minute drive. It was a quick trip (and in country girl language that means it only took me 3 hours). I came home, unloaded and put away groceries, looked at the enormous pile of luggage that is still fully unpacked, and turned the other way. I played with Shiloh for a few minutes, then had to go get Solomon from school. We got back in the house, and then started the after school routine. Who's with me? I empty the backpack, sort through a PILE of papers, figure out homework for the night, sign all the things I need to sign etc. Today was cray cray. Because he missed 3 days last week, he has about 25 worksheets and papers of make up work. Oh my, how will we ever finish. He had some defrag time with his current favorite TV show- old school Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. He asked me to sit with him for a few minutes and no joke, I fell asleep in about 3 minutes. I woke up about 10 minutes later to some sort of war between the two loving siblings...one was chasing the other with scissors...mommy of the year, yeah. We worked out the kerfuffle which was over who got to open the bag of cashews. The inner beast may or may not have made its daily debut to handle that situation. ;)
I sat beside them for a little longer wondering how I was going to muster up the strength and patience to make it until after bedtime. I still had dinner to make, baths to give, a ton of homework to do with the boy, and bedtime. Hubby dearest wont be home til 8. It seemed like a slightly impossible task. I took a deep breath and just prayed that God would allow me to access the strength that I know He has already given me in order to be a mother who isn't, well, a beast :)
I logged on to my amazing church's website, Pittsburgh East Community Church, and listened to the live worship from this past weekend. While broccoli was steaming, noodles were boiling, one child dilly dallied in the bath forever, the other threw a massive fit in the playroom, i kept my cool.
Currently, little is in the bath and big boy is finishing up homework. Dinner is over. We are half way there.
But....I don't always keep my cool. How do you stay patient at the end of these long mommy days? I'm alone a lot because hubs works super long hours. Just tonight, I was supposed to go get some girl time in but had to back out because of his work load. He is such a hard worker. Its amazing...and an honor to be his wife, lemme tell yah! But, still, I do start to run a little, uh, rough, at the end of the day. So I'd love to hear what you do to keep yourself calm and patient, gentle and quiet...all while rearing those precious little ones of yours.
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