Good times...or not

Oh my. Let the fun begin. Yesterday was a little "trying" shall we say around here. Ryan was gone all day until a little after midnight last night. The good news is--we survived. We always do. I even managed to stay calm all day. This surprised even me. I think the kids expected me to lose it a few times during the day after they committed a crime against another Harlow (i.e. me or one of their siblings). When I in fact told them calmly to go to their room or sit on the step, and continued to repeat myself against their continued arguing as they pleaded their "not guilty" case...they were in disbelief I think that I was not raising my voice or making threats about future sentencing.

In reality, their infractions weren't horrible...but were definitely things that "no child of mine would ever do" --or so I thought/said prior to my little perfect bundles of joy entering this world. Let's see...after treating said children to an ice cream cone at McDonald's and driving home with them we had catastrophe number one. (Note: I did in fact lick both ice cream cones down to a better size for both of them before handing them over. That's the kind of mom I am. Stealing food from my children so I don't feel guilty eating an entire cone for myself.) As we were driving home eating our ice cream cones, I could feel it coming. I knew the kids were going to be a mess or ice cream was going to be all over their car seats. Stupid mom decision #1 of the day. Sure enough, Emma wanted to take the wrapper off the bottom of the cone and in doing so dropped the entire cone on the floor of the car. She is sitting in the third row so of course I can't reach her. And of course, Carly has decided to scream bloody murder in the car. Nice. So relaxing. Enjoying a nice treat and ride in the car. NOT.

Okay. Ice cream cleaned up. Children napping. All children napping at the same time. Wow. Some time to actually think. Except I had so many things I wanted to do during this "child free time" that all of my thoughts overwhelmed me and I didn't know where to start. Ugh. Okay. Organized some clothes, folded laundry, ya know--my usual free time activities. So exciting. Emma wakes up. Seriously? She didn't even sleep and obviously needed to based on her actions prior to nap. Okay. It's okay I told myself. Reinforcements are on the way. Enter Auntie Julie, Zachy, and Matty.

Life is good. All kids are happy. Emma and Matty playing together nicely. Dylan and Zach playing Wii nicely. Julie and I actually get to chat. Wow. Nice evening. The Daniels' need to go home now and Em and D need a shower and to get to bed. Dylan "pauses" the Wii. This should have been my first clue. Dumb mom move #2 of the day. (Note: There were probably numerous dumb mom moves but these were the doozies.) I turn off the television. I am in the kitchen helping Julie get her things together and I see Dylan walking towards the shelf with the television remote on it. As if this were happening in slow motion...I could see the meltdown coming. Dylan reaching for the remote. Me: "Dylan, don't even think about touching that remote." I turn to tell Julie something. I hear a loud smack. Yes. My little angel. My perfect boy. My "son that would never do that." He threw the remote onto the kids' table in the family room out of anger/frustration. I sent him upstairs. Calmly. Me calm, him not so much. After nicely saying goodnight to my best friend and her children, while my five year old was hyperventilating and sobbing all at once (you know, the ugly cry, right?) I helped Emma pick up downstairs and we ventured up to the land of nothing-good-can-come-from-this-situation.

Dylan was a wreck. Me, still calm. Shocking right? Well, I told him to take a shower. He was still so ticked at me. Now he was mad that he didn't get to give his friend Zach a hug before he left. Seriously? You are going to lay that one on me now too? In the shower, he decides to hit the shower door. A few times. A few times more. Really? So sorry that my dear husband has to miss all of this fun we have while he is gone. Boy, does he miss out.

I tell Dylan to get out of the shower. Again, he is ticked at me. He gets dressed and climbs into bed. Emma is now in the shower. Carly has been sitting in the baby chair in my bathroom minding her own business, mind you quietly, this whole time. I tell Dylan that I love him no matter what and always will. As I am leaving his room, he says, "Mommy?" "Yes Dylan?" " I just want you to know that I am the maddest at you that I have ever been." "Okay. Good night Dylan, I love you."

I guess it could have been worse. He could have said he hated me or didn't want me for a mommy anymore. Yeah, yeah, I know. That is coming in the future. I shower Emma. Put her to bed. Check on Dylan again. "Mommy?" "Yes Dylan?" "Can I have a hug?" After hugging him and then standing at the door. "Mommy I am really sorry that I said I was the maddest at you ever." "That's okay Dylan. I love you sweetie." Dylan is usually such a good boy. It melted my heart when he apologized for his words. That is the Dylan that I know and love so very much. Sweet boy.

The ending? Carly enjoyed a nice peaceful bath by herself in my bathroom. :-) Actually not the ending so much. The ending of that day. This morning seemed pretty good. Ryan was going to work again. Can you believe all the good times he misses out on around here? On the way home from lunch with the kids, Emma (now sitting behind me in the 2nd row) decided to be ticked at me for god knows what. She preceded to kick my seat the ENTIRE way home. So nice. Carly just stared at her. Emma was so entertaining to her baby sister that said sister did not even cry once on the way home. She ALWAYS cries in the car. So instead of the screaming baby, I got a very awful back massage on the way home. Seriously? Can all the Harlow children just be mad at me on the same day, then happy with me the next? That would make my life so much easier.

Here we are again. All children napping. Reinforcements on the way. Daddy will be home for dinner. Mommy is going to take a time out! Oh wait--dinner? I guess my time out will have to wait. :-)