Last week my devils in disguise decided to play “store” with the house phone.  I was cleaning, or nursing, or dozing and well, it was quiet… and so, I let it happen.  Lo and behold, as one would expect, the phone disappeared and as luck would have it the battery died.  I searched high and low to no avail, and despite my pleads to tell me every single location the store front had moved to, the owners could not find the important object either.  As you could guess, I have no cell phone reception here, and without the life line to call my mom available, things get ugly. A few days into my, I have not spoken to an adult in far too long mess, I threw what can only be referred to as an out right hissy fit and when no one responded to my sweaty eye bulging craze or even raised an eyebrow at my hollering, I sent them both outside.  In the rain.  Not my proudest parenting moment, I can assure you that.  But, thankfully, they don’t care about things so trivial such as a few rain drops, and promptly got involved in some sort of bike rally, but still… I ordered them out.  In the rain.

And it doesn’t end there…  Yesterday was long.  Long in the way eighties rock ballads are, and their hair too (click here for my favorite long hair reference, really I love these guys), oh it was just over the top.  I kept trying to re vamp the day with outings, and projects and snacks but the bickering wouldnt end, the famous “angry face” kept appearing, and I was losing. steam. fast.

just trust me. he was making the angry face.

The evening settled upon us, the biggest boys were outside eating blackberries, Jasper was tucked happily into the sling, and I was making carrot soup.  My favorite.  It is a favorite for all of us in fact.  I falsely believed I had things under control again.  I had great plans of a nice meal, despite the fact that it was one night in a long string of no husband until far after my bedtime was past.  Oh yes, this meal would go well, I willed the universe to appease me.  And of course, it didn’t.  It was loud, and messy and chaotic, and I will be one hudnred percent honest when I say I could not find the beauty in it.  Giggles sounded like fog horns, scampering feet felt like thunder.  Bath time only brought on more crazy.  Wet wash clothes were flying, baby was melting down, and I was tearing up.  When it was all over, I came down stairs, sat in our mud room, my sweaty bare back against the cool wall and did what any sane person would do; I pried open a cold beer with my teeth.  It was my only option.  (Haha just kidding I used a bottle opener.. but man that would have been cool)

Oh these days are not always rainbows and unicorns, though I truly feel like most of the time I can at least see one cantering in the distance.  But sometimes, just sometimes, it is all I can do to just flop into bed and hope tomorrow is different.  With rain in the forecast and a line up of crafts that would make Martha Stuart beam with pride, I think today just may be.