rainy day + parenting

Ok so just so you get a small glimpse of my life lately: For the past 5 weeks I've had my own two kids plus my neice and my nephew while my sister is temporarily back at work. So yes that means I have a 3 year old, 2 1/2 year old, 1 1/2 year old, and 6 1/2 month old Pax. Yup..that's right..4 under 3. Needless to say I've been living a faster paced life than I'm used to.

Up until today it was okay. We have had great days playing together. We've had rougher days filled with time-outs and tears. But nothing prepared me for today. Both of my boys were still sleeping when the other two arrived. I had already been able to consume my breakfast, read blogs and take a few breaths all by myself. With optimisim I had researched different toddler-friendly activities we could do today.

We began with a fun time building a fort with chairs and blankets in the living room. I had told them to choose one toy each to play with in the fort while I nursed Paxton. Enter the madness. As I was nursing they began to put every toy we own in that fort. After a few attempts to get them to put some back...I just said, " whatever you put in the tent you will have to put back on the toy shelf."

Around 10:30am I told them we could have a snack in the tent. What a treat, eh?!?! But due to the tremendous amount of toys filling up the tent, there was no room for the kids nevermind me and a snack. Alright, let's clean up. Nothin'. No one moved. I attempted with various methods to motivate them to clean up the toys. It took one hour and 45 minutes to clean up the toys. That time was filled with screams, tears, meltdowns. And then there was the kids!

When Jason walked in the door for lunch I was tempted to run out and take an hour for myself. Jason asked why I didn't just put on the tv. Ugh! Doesn't he understand that I'm trying to parent without that thing! Of course its easy to plop kids in front of the tv and watch them get sucked in. Now before anyone gets upset or offended, they do get to watch tv and enough of it. But I don't want it to be something I use when I don't want to play or parent. Its a privilege.

After lunch we played for a bit...then I caved. I put Toy Story on. I figured I would have a few minutes to prep supper and cuddle my sick baby. Nope. Today not even the tv could save us. They argued, wrestled, pushed, and cried some more.

I put on a pot of coffee and dreamed of the moment that I would taste the first sip. Now and hour and a half later...all four are sleeping soundly in their beds and I am enjoying my well-deserved coffee.
I love them all. I do. We just have bad days. Monday will be better. It has to be. We reached the bottom. Its only up from here.