The straw

You know, the one that broke the camel’s back? This was that straw for me. Things have been hectic around here to say the very least. My patience has been short and I could feel myself hanging on by a thread and then this morning, while I was preoccupied, this happened…snap!

Sigh. Why? Why did my children pick today to do this? Why, when we’ve had markers out for years did my 4 ½ year old decide it would be the time to lose her mind and draw on the wall for the first time? Why did it have to be the day after I finished decorating their bedroom and the day before we have company?

Yes, I realize it is only marker on a wall (which will hopefully come off eventually) and not a major catastrophe. Today though that didn’t matter, today it was more than we could deal with. And I yelled, and they cried. And then I cried with them. The stress and deadlines we’ve been under as of late have taken their toll on us all and we need a do over. Kinsley has this thing where, when things aren’t going her way or she’s getting frustrated, she’ll spin around in a circle and declare “There! Now I can start over.” So that is exactly what we are going to do this afternoon. We’re going to take a step back from all the things that are pulling for my attention, put on some loud silly music and spin ourselves into a better frame of mind.