I'm a Real Downer Today

I put my kids in quiet time early today because they are driving me crazy.  CRAZY!  Ella even gets to stay in quiet time for the entire day, because she's being that difficult.  As of now, Jude only has to stay in his room for the requisite hour, though his whining might win him some extra time.  And Virginia, God bless her, she couldn't be quiet to save her own life, so I'm not sure how many days I'm going to keep her up there.

I ran upstairs moments ago, when I heard a loud thump and cries of distress.  I'm still not sure what caused the thump, but the cries were Jude's.  I could hear him through his door, sobbing "I wish I were still three.  I've wasted my time.  I wish I were still three and my room was the old room.  And I can't go to sleep, and I'm not tired, and I want to come out.  I peed in this bed.  Waaaah."  One door down, Virginia was collapsed on her bed with a book, rapping "I think I've got a castle.  I know I've got a bastle.  I want to have a mastle.  Come on into my castle ..."  And Ella, she's being quiet for now.  No doubt she's reading a book instead of contemplating her current plight.  I suspect she'll shortly emerge and apologize and tell me she loves me and ask if she can come out.  She will have entirely forgotten why she's being punished, forgotten that she yelled at me and in anger threw a pillow at me.  And she will have forgotten that she became enraged with me over a sewing project that went awry.   Yes, a sewing project.  I think maybe her hem was crooked and she got mad.  I guess even I can't remember what exactly happened.

This is not the best summer we've ever had.  It seems like these days we spend eighty percent of our time driving all over the city to go to various doctors. We sit in waiting rooms, get shots, and sweat away all of our energy in traffic.  So, as much as I dislike spending so much money on rabies vaccines and check-ups and crowning my bum tooth, it's really how we're spending our time that is making these weeks difficult.  The thing is, I understand why this is all making the kids so grumpy.  It's making me grumpy too, though I've tried really, really hard to be upbeat.  Everyone is exhausted, and the kids keep arguing, and I'm hot.  So, blaaaahhhh.  

And now I want to remind myself how lucky I am to have really good insurance,  an air conditioner that works, a car that is paid off, a husband who sent me a surprise gift in the mail, friends who support me, and a crazy family who loves us all.  And, as Virginia always ends her prayerful intentions, "thank you God for God."