Overall, my days as a stay-at-home mom are filled with a good amount of discovery,  some willfulness, lots of fun and excitement, a few real tears, a dash of melodrama, the occasional time-out, and lots of hugs and kisses. There are parenting days that start ugly, or turn ugly, but the right course of action can stop a full derailment. This week was one for the books. Both kids were coming off of a nasty flu; my son was also dealing with croup. Weakened, tired kids plus the inability to really get out of the house much PLUS a very tired mama from lack of sleep created quite the sh*t storm. It was a torrential-whirlwind-type marked by whining, clinging, tantrums, and crocodile tears. I’ve come out a little wiser and in definite need of a weekend of husband help and support. But I survived.

Here are my Mutterings, Musings, and Mantras from My Day Parenting That Just Wouldn’t Turn Around

 
She must have woke from a deep sleep, I’ll just give her snuggles SPACE until she fully wakes up.
 
If I put on cartoons and just loosen his death grip from my shirt, maybe I can make coffee…
 
WHY is my coffee maker so damn slow?!
 
Okay, we need to get out of the house. All we need to do is get out of the house and everything will be fine.
 
Oh. My. Goodness. It’s been 45 minutes since we started getting ready and we’re still not out of the house!
 
Must. Get. Out. to stop whining.
 
I love my kids. I love my kids. I love my kids.
 
Sigh! Thank God, we’re out. I’m not going back in until we absolutely have to.
 
Oh no! He’s whining. It can’t be nap time already. Uh-oh! It is nap time.
 
Nap for him and quiet time for her will be good. It’ll all be okay after nap time.
 
Phewf! Quiet. I need lunch.
 
Oh my goodness! Stop trying to climb me.
 
Okay, fine! Eat lunch in my lap.
 
She’s in my lap. Why is she still trying to climb me? Good God Almighty, child. Okay, I guess I’ve eaten enough.
 
I’ll just get a pile of books. We will sit and snuggle and she’ll get good concentrated ‘Mama time’.
 
Okay, this is good. This is awesome. Wait! Why the hell is she trying to climb me again?!? I’m sitting snuggling this child and she cannot fight the urge to climb me!
 
“Be gentle to Mama, honey. Gentle. GENTLE! Stop trying to climb onto my head. GET OFF OF MY HEAD NOW, PLEASE!!!”
 
Boredom is the mother of invention. I’ll give her space. She’ll get bored. Then she’ll play. She is great at playing. She just needs space to play.
 
Ignore the whining. Ignore the whining. Ignore the whining.
 
Oh no! He’s awake. How long was that? Oh jeez! He needs to sleep more. I’ll just put on the TV to preoccupy her while I get him back down.
 
“Honey downstairs, please. Mama just needs to get your brother back to sleep…. Down. Stairs. PLEASE!”
 
I wonder if there’s such thing as toddler respite… Just for one day a week. Maybe two….
 
Argh! I guess nap time is over early.
 
Only three hours till hubby is home. THREE hours. It’s only 1.5 hours times two. I can do 1.5 hours. I can do 1.5 hours…
 
I wanted to have kids my whole life, I didn’t think it was going to be easy. I wanted kids my whole life, I didn’t think it was going to be easy. I wanted kids my whole life, I didn’t think each and every day was going to be easy.
 
I just need to separate them. If I separate them, they’ll stop bothering each other.
 
How do I separate both of them if all they want to do is climb me?!?
 
If there was toddler respite, it would have to be government subsidized. Wouldn’t it? It would have to be. Because how else would people afford toddler respite? There has to be toddler respite. I would only need a few days a week, or maybe half days for the entire work week… Nothing much.
 
I love my kids. I love my kids. I love my kids. I love my kids. I love my kids.
 
Once hubby is home, I can pour myself a glass of wine. Sigh. Thank God for WINE!
 
 

How do you cope on those days that just won’t turn around? Please share!