It’s not like they drive cars or heavy machinery

I think I’m defeated.  Dejected and defeated.  Or at least I was last night at 9 p.m., which is when I went to bed after a long day of holding my youngest while she screamed.  And screamed.  And screamed just a little bit louder.  And then finally went to sleep, only to wake up an hour later and scream some more.

Strep.  It’s kind of a bastard.  

Just to give you some idea of what my day was like yesterday, let me show you this picture I sent to Chris.  He came home from work then took Sebastian to the bike store to buy some lights he needed.  This photo is an actual representation of the constant crying to be picked up, then crying to get down, then crying to be picked up, then crying to get down that my day consisted of.  Finally I just put her down and took her picture, sent it to Chris and asked when he was coming home.

Okay, I do feel a little sorry for her, but
damn. MAN UP, TODDLER.

My kids are relatively healthy kids, and by that I mean I don’t have to take them to the doctor all that often, which may mean that either they’re not sick or I just haven’t figured out yet when they are.  I think the last time Sebastian had a fever was sometime in year 2.  However, I’ve decided that he may have had strep last month and just gotten over it before we had him tested at the doctor.  I’m using that to explain the Christmas of Terror that we were all under on account of a supremely cranky and/or disagreeable 3 year old.  He’s still not over it, I think, which is why he’s upstairs ‘taking a nap’ instead of ‘having quiet time.’  Of course, that still means that he’s playing in his room instead of actually sleeping, and possibly kicking the wall, but the connotations are different.  Plus he’s out of my hair, which is all I wanted anyway.

Yesterday I only had the energy to deal with one loudly unhappy child, and I chose the one with the contagious disease, so Sebastian got to watch more TV than normal.  Do you know how nice it was to be able to say ‘yes’ to him?  Do you know how much easier my day was (relatively) because I gave in?  THIS IS WHY CHILDREN GROW UP EXPECTING TO HAVE WHATEVER THEY WANT.  IT’S EASY.  And he asks for it all day.  It's usually the first thing he says to me after 'Good morning.'  "Good morning mom I slept good can I watch TV?  How 'bout just one show?  After breakfast?"

Of course, since Adele was feeling better today and not nearly so clingy, I did not give Sebastian whatever he wanted and we had another meltdown of screaming and lashing out, which makes for an average of 903 the past month.

But I think maybe I have a reason.  The doctor said his throat was pretty raw, so maybe he just doesn’t feel all that well.  And I guess it’s just one of those things that will only improve with time.  I hope.  Because if he’s 15 and taking his sore throat out on me you sure as hell better believe that there will be worse consequences than having to stay in his room, which is something he should want to do anyway, as that is where his cool toys are.

A photo of a happier time, when neither of
my children were whining.

But I think that I am feeling better mentally in my brain because I did go to bed at 9 and was asleep by 9:30.  I was so worn out and was almost positive that Adele would wake me up sometime in the middle of the night.  But she didn’t.  And I got my first good night’s sleep in a long time, since my children decided that 5:30 was a proper time to wake up in the morning. 

So maybe I have a new bedtime.

Unless they make sleeping pills for children.  In which case I’m all about that.