Tired Tuesday

I had originally started this post in a grumpy mood, rambling about being tired, too much to do around the house etc. But, the day is nearly over, 3/4 of the kids are in bed, so this is my time of night to chill out and just reflect a bit. I usually end up looking at the really bad "mom moments" and beat myself up for them, then go to bed feeling as if I could have done so much better. Well, not saying that I didn't have enough of those moments today, but I am not dwelling on them right now.

I was in the laundry room today when I heard that sound that a mother of a toddler never wants to hear, a kitchen chair crashing off the kitchen table. Why was it on the table, you ask? Well, because if we leave it on the floor, Millie climbs onto the table and dances. So, we put the chairs on the table and the bench under the table and that usually works. Not this morning! Millie pulled the bench out just enough to get on it and then climbed on the table. When I heard the crash, I knew all the dogs were outside and I knew the twins were playing in their bedroom, so I knew it some how had to involve Millie. I didn't hear her crying, which is another thing a mother of a toddler in this situation does NOT want to hear, silence. Keep in mind I am about two steps away from the door to see what happened, yet there is enough time for all of the scenerios to run through my mind: 1) Millie was on the chair when it fell, she isn't crying so she is unconcious 2) She reached up and grabbed the leg and it fell on her head, she is quiet because it landed on her and she cant cry 3) She pushed it off and isn't crying because she is enjoying her new found room to dance on the table. Thank GOD it was option 3! I went rushing in, already about in tears, to see my Millie Magoo, dancing away on the kitchen table in her diaper.

Another opportunity I had today to take the high road and not have a bad Mom Moment: I was SO tired earlier, so I layed on the couch while the kids did whatever they were doing in the living room. Keep in mind this entire story takes place over the span of a commercial break during Days of Our Lives. I am not like Tom, I can't lay down on the couch and actually sleep while the kids are up and about. So, I heard Millie go into the kitchen and I immediately do my mental run down: 1) knives removed from the middle of the floor: check 2) bench in it's new storage place: check 3) fresh bowl of dog water picked up so she cant play in it: shoot! So, I lay there. Maybe she'll miss the huge popcorn bowl size dog water dish that draws her in like gravity.Wrong. Next thing I heard was her notice the bowl Next I hear is the 'swoosh' of the water being dumped all over Millie. She cackled, the twins ran in and the splashing and dancing began. As I layed on the couch, keep in mind this is all happening during ONE commercial break of Days of Our Lives, I knew I had a decision to make. 1. I could jump up and be Maniac Mom looking at the mess before me: three wet kids, spilled water, soaked floor 2. I could pretend I didn't hear anything and wait for the Dog Water Fairy to appear and clean up the mess 3. I could relish in the idea that I now have about five minutes of peace to lay on the couch, watch Days, and know exactly where the kids were and what they were all doing! I picked 3, who wouldn't!? I think they pulled out every kitchen towel to dry up the mess. No big deal, I am constantly doing laundry, what's a few more 20 dish towels. When they had it cleaned up, Nick stripped Millie down to her diaper and sent her to find me. The major upside of this: the dog bowl was sitting in front of the kitchen sink, so the huge amount of water spilled all over the high traffic area of the kitchen, so when it was all said and done, the dirtiest part of our floor, sparkling! Priceless!

Don't worry, I still had my Maniac Mom moments of the day! This afternoon when I asked the kids to clean up the living room and they scooped everything and piled it onto the couch, yeah, didn't go over too well! When I asked the twins to pick up the silly domino truck toy that had about 200 small dominoes scattered about the house, they ignored me. After those two events, the kids were told they would go to bed right after dinner and the domino truck would be posted on freecycle for some other Mom to enjoy!