“One of Those Days”

As a mom, it’s common to have “one of those days” — you know, the ones where you find yourself hiding in the bathroom, counting down to bedtime, and sneaking chocolate behind the kids’ backs.

Welcome to my yesterday.

Between Owen challenging me from the moment he woke up, Archer getting into stuff he shouldn’t, and Randy working out of town for most of the week again, yesterday was just an off day. I struggled to be patient, nap time was less than satisfying, and I spent most of the afternoon feeling sluggish and cranky.

By the time I got the boys to bed, my motivation was pretty much gone. Fortunately, I caught up on dishes earlier in the day and we ate supper at my parents’ house, so the kitchen was in pretty decent shape. The rest of the house, though…well, I was just waiting for it to be declared an official disaster zone.

Believe me when I say I am not exaggerating. In the living room, there were movies, toys, and crumbs scattered all over the floor. I desperately needed to vacuum, but before that could happen, I needed to relocate all the toys. I had a huge pile of unfolded laundry hanging out on my bed, a stack of brand-new food containers still needing to be washed and put to use, and my Bible study all calling my name.

Despite it all, I ignored everything and went straight to bed, only to be awakened less than an hour later by Archer. As bad as I thought the day had been, the night was worse. Archer would not go back to sleep. In my desperation, I took him to bed with me, which used to be the best way to get any sleep. Not anymore, though. We both struggled to sleep for the next few hours before I finally gave up and forced my near lifeless form to the sofa for another nursing session. Between all that, Owen also woke up and climbed into bed with us. When we got up and headed for the couch, Owen eventually following, resulting in a distracted Archer. I love his little giggle, but when I desperately want to get back to sleep at 4:00 a.m., it’s just not as endearing.

Fortunately, today has been much better. Obviously, any day where everyone sleeps in until 9:30 a.m. can’t be too bad, right? I was a little high strung most of the day because of the severe weather threat (which missed us…thank you God!), but for the most part, it was a good day. I got all the goldfish crumbs vacuumed from the living room floor and couch, my food containers washed, and both boys were bathed and asleep shortly after 8:00 p.m.

How did that happen? I have no idea. I think this is one of the profound mysteries of being a mom — some days you kick butt at the job, while other days you get your butt kicked. Sometimes just getting through the day alive feels like a victory, worthy of an award (otherwise known as wine), while other days are peppered with feel-good moments that convince you you’re the greatest mom on the planet.

I’m not sure what tomorrow will bring. It’s possible it will be another “one of those days,” but it’s also possible it will be amazing. I may not be able to dictate my kids’ actions or other happenings, but I can choose my attitude toward them, and maybe, just maybe, that will be enough to make it a great day.