My Much Needed Moment

I started today’s entry while I was cooking dinner and had about a paragraph typed when it became apparent my topic was going to change.  This evening my children were what parents affectionately call “difficult” when what we really mean is downright terrible.  Two minutes into dinner found Nick and I at the table alone with the kids in a double time out.  It is quite disconcerting to eat dinner over the lovely sounds of screeching echoing down the hall so after a few moments we got up to ask the kids if they were ready to behave and come back to the table.  Usually at this point in time they sniffle and say yes and life goes on.  Tonight they must have taken extra cranky pills because nothing worked.  Finally Nick called a family meeting in Christian’s room and actually got the kids to calm down.  We all sat back down at the table and finished eating.  I thought maybe that was it.

Next step, bath time.  This is normally an easy, happy part of the day that the kids approach with enthusiasm.  It went in the absolute opposite direction tonight.  Tessie ran to her room and hid under the covers while Christian screamed the whole way up the stairs.  Once in the tub it improved slightly since Tes turned her mood around but Christian more than made up for her, yelling the whole time I was washing him.  Luckily pajamas and tooth brushing went well and I handed them both off to Nick for story time. 

I ducked out into the backyard while Nick worked his Daddy magic and tried to leave my frustrated mommy vibes behind.  I let my chickens out of their temporary pen and watched them wander around the yard.  It started to mist and I tried to round up the girls to get them in the coop for the night.  My ridiculous chickens have still not figured out that their coop is better than the cardboard box they spent the last couple of months in and so I chased them around the yard sticking them in the house one by one. 

Once my flock was secured I stood in the lightly falling rain and closed my eyes.  I could barely hear Nick’s voice through Christian’s window, a deep murmur.  The rain drops were like little pins pricks on my arms and eyelids.  I listened to the chickens settling down for the evening and the rain falling off the roof onto the ground in a steady drumming.  Calm settled over me and I could walk back into Mommy-Land refreshed and ready for more.

 I love being a mom but unfortunately hard times come with the wonderful.  It is important to take a moment to regain sanity and some semblance of the person I am without my children.  Those moments help make me a better mother.  I am lucky to have a partner to step in when I need a moment and tonight my much needed moment was beautiful.