I'm tired. and Cranky.

Do you ever just have one of those days? I am. And it's barely just begun. Let me tell you about it, and then maybe I can just be over it. It all started last night. Ok, yesterday afternoon. I was framing a portrait, and dropped the glass on my foot. Not only did it hurt like a "bee sting in hale", but I ruined the portrait in the process. Of course, this was the second attempt to frame this project, and the client is WAITING. Waiting longer now. I then had a 5 O'clock meeting, that went well, but by the time I got home it was 6:30. Since I was not home, the carpool dropped the big kids to Ryan where he is chopping corn at the neighbors. When I went to get them, Will, in his NEW WHITE uniform shirt had grease and dirt all over it. I do not think I will be able to get it out. What do you treat first? the grease? the dirt? AHH. My wonderful neighbor, who is weekly blessing me with green beans, can easily see my frustration, exhaustion, utter despair, and lovingly offers me sweet corn ( ours is long done) for dinner along with not 1, but 2 beautiful cantaloupes. On the way home, I realize that we forgot the backpacks, turn around to retrieve them...grr. Quickly made dinner, that was really the high point! Fresh sweet corn, GOOD. Fresh cantaloupe, GOOD. New potatoes, (my garden!) GOOD! And then on to homework. I hate homework. I do not have the patience to help Will with his 1st Grade homework, I just have a difficult time explaining simple math facts...and as for Elle's 3rd grade work...well I just usually don't understand it at all. BATHS. Feed the rabbits, Feed the Chicken, Water the goats...Feed the dog & cats...Listen to Will read. And for you other Mom's out there that are not born teachers, listening to a 1st grader read sounds like nails on a chalkboard to me. I HATE it. (it really is that patience thing again, and I need to work on it.) Mind you, the entire time we are in the middle of this dinner-homework-bath chaotic dance, there is much yelling, crying, arguing...AHH! FINALLY everyone is in bed. At 9:30, not the hoped-for 8:30. I really needed to shower, pick up the house, unload the dishwasher, fold the laundry, and the list goes on. But, since we are in this weird time warp where we have a winter schedule with all of our summer work, I snapped beans instead. Fell asleep on the couch. And as for this morning. All of you who know me, know that mornings just are not my strong suit. And these poor kids are tired. We have to dig through the laundry baskets to find uniforms, pack lunches, tie shoes, brush teeth.. throw them in the car with a pop tart to meet the carpool. It is a healthy breakfast. They are made with whole grains! (justification). Our car is a mess. You never really know what you are going to find. Or smell. This morning, though we were pleasantly surprised! It smelled like the cantaloupe we had left in our haste to get through our nightly ritual. As we were driving along, the smell quickly changed...into... something bad. What is THAT??? a pile of POOP on the passenger seat floor. "IS THERE A CAT IN THE CAR?" I yelled. Elle responds. "No, if there was I would hear it". Will's turn: "There was, I already took it out". Can you just imagine that horrible feeling? And as I look back to see if Will has his shoes tied, I see the cantaloupe. The beautiful cantaloupe my loving neighbor gave me. THE CAT HAD ATE IT. No wonder the car smelled good. So, here I sit, venting my frustrations with a cup of international coffee, adjusting my attitude before I have to go to work. On a high note, I get to have lunch with my dear, dear friend Teresa. I need a shower. But, I think I'll go snuggle in bed with my little princess Bea...