In Like a Lion, Out Like a Lamb

In spite of the fact that I've learned not to panic on busy days, we had a near melt down yesterday. We had a dance rehearsal for the little girls, and we were a few minutes late because my three year old was napping and I had to wake her up. It went downhill from there. She was super whiny and uncooperative. At one point she had to put on a costume for her Little Bo Peep dance-- she was supposed to be a sheep-- and when she saw that her tutu was a sheep's fur (I thought it was quite adorable) she absolutely refused to put it on. She saw others in pink polka dotted tutus and didn't understand why she couldn't wear those instead. Of course she is three, and I know that, but all logic and persuasion could not stem the flow of tears and bottom-lip-out stubbornness. It was hot and crowded in the dressing room, and I was frustrated. All of this while I'm trying to hold my baby, who was unaccountably fussy again and rubbing his ear, and helping my six year old get her costumes on in a hot and crowded dressing room. Their dance teacher, who is normally a saint, was the grumpiest I've ever seen her.

Finally I sat her in the car so she could calm down (and me too). When we got home, the baby was still fussy and the house was a disaster. My father-in-law showed up to visit and my husband got home soon afterward. After a haphazard pizza night, I was going to try to clean the house while the boys worked in the garden, but my six year old begged me to play with her (and baby was fussy enough it was clear it was a lost cause). I'm trying to do better about being willing to do things with them on their timeframe (within reason). I took 15 to tidy up and then went outside. The kids wanted to play kick-the-can. I told them 15 minutes tops. I was feeling really overwhelmed. But the night was so beautiful, and all my flowers have bloomed-- pink peonies and foxglove and delphinium, and the air was fragranced and sweet. The night was lightly warm and I carried the baby while we hid in flowerbeds and the shouts of "over-the-can on _____" rang through the neighborhood. My mood was instantly lightened, the kids were happy, it was so refreshing to be out, and we ended up playing for 40 minutes instead of 15. When it was time to go in, I was so glad I'd allowed myself to go out and play, something I probably wouldn't have done before without my work done. It changed my mood and lightened the day and the kids loved it. Ended the night with some peach pie on paper plates listening to the night sounds through the open windows...