One of those days!

Today has been just one of those days!  You know how you can tell how the day is going to be based on the first hour of the morning?  Either the kids wake up happy and all is well, or they wake up not so happy and all is not well. 

Today was a not so happy and all is not well morning.  Grace woke up at 3:30 to begin with and climbed in bed with me saying the rain was scaring her.  Since it is very rare that she comes in our room before "the sun comes through her window", I let her stay.  After an hour of kicking and moving around she finally feel back asleep, I however, was wide awake by then.  Once Noah woke up, the kids had a long brawl/tantrum over who gets what sippy cups.  I'm really close to throwing all my sippy cups away and buying like 10 of the exact same cups. 

Next we went to Target.  Why I thought it would be a good idea to go to Target after their cranky morning, I don't exactly know.  I did need a few essentials and I'm having Gracie do a giving box from church.  She chose to buy for a 2-4 year old girl and I knew she would have so much fun picking things out.  We had to explain how these presents weren't for her a few times but by the end she understood.  Noah, was not a happy camper at the store and if you know Noah you know that he has this "fingers on a chalkboard" scream.  It is so high and so loud.  Once the screaming started, I was racing to the cashier trying to get out of that store as fast as possible while praying I didn't see anyone I knew.  Now that we live closer to where I grew up and where I used to teach, I am constantly running into people, which is great when I am actually dressed in real clothes and my kids are behaving like angels.  Rare for those two to occur at the same time. Oh and I love handing items to the cashier after my kids have pretty much unwrapped, crushed or de-boxed (?) everything I had in the cart.  They give me the greatest looks.

After we got home I dropped a full jar of pickles which splattered and shattered everywhere. Wonderful.  While I was cleaning that, Grace found a packet of saltine crackers and crushed them up then opened them and poured them out.  I think she was pretending it was snow the way that she was picking them up and throwing them above her head.  So off to timeout she goes. 

Once I finished cleaning the messes I went to talk to Grace and found her and Noah ripping out, page by page from her bible.  I kinda loose it at this point and end with throwing myself on the couch and crying.  (I know I'm so dramatic but the crying really did help and I got over it.)  My little Noah came over and consoled me then brought me a book and read to me to make it better.  I love that little man.  Grace.... I love her too, it's just so hard to know what to do with her at this age.  The best way to discipline, what to expect from her, ect.  In someways I think I expect and ask a lot of her.  She is my helper.  She does little chores for me around the house and she is wonderful about helping Noah when my hands are tied doing other thing.  She really is a sweet little thing, mix with some spice and a few shots of espresso!  Now how to parent a little girl with so much energy and curiosity?

Luckily they are taking a nap right now.  There is banana bread baking in the oven, the smell of pickles is finally going away and I get to look outside at this beautiful weather and enjoy some peace and quiet.  When the kids wake up, I will give them a kiss, some banana bread, and we'll start over and enjoy our afternoon together.