Weary Wednesday!

What a day it has been! Evie and Henry have both been out of sorts and I am exhausted from tending to them all day.Weary describes me perfectly right now.

It started early this morning when Henry was up growing molars. He was not a happy camper. Then, Evie woke up bright and early and had her first meltdown before her foot hit the floor. My coffee did not turn out and I realized it after using my last dollop of creamer. Hot chocolate just does not have the same effect on mornings like this.

Henry went down for his nap easily so I was hoping that our day would improve. Evie and I played all kinds of games. That girl has more imagination than I know what to do with. We played school, park, mommy, tea party, restaurant and cooking show. That was enough playing for me so I tried convincing her that "Camp Mommy" was over and it was time to entertain herself. Evie did not agree and literally stayed within two inches of my person for the rest of the morning.

As if that was not enough excitement for the day, we headed to the park for a "preschool mixer" hosted by the Parent Advisory Council at Evie's school. It seemed like a great idea to get everyone together before the "big" day. Evie was a mess almost the entire time. Henry had a ball and walked all over the place with a big ol' grin as if he was the cutest thing ever. He is pretty cute!

Evie had meltdown after meltdown. Nothing was going her way. Then, Henry was terrorized by a four year old and I had to restrain myself from jumping down that kid's throat. UGH! I ran into a friend who has a child Evie's age and an older daughter. She is one of those people who seems to always have it together - never frazzled, always speaking to her children kindly - you know the type. It was good to see her today because it reminded me that these days are long but they are flying by fast. One day, I might be that mom at the park, who seems to have it all together, serenely walking through the park with Henry while Evie is off at kindergarten . . . missing these days that are so hard right now. My favorite counselor helped me out and made me laugh with a story about her morning.

We got home from the park and World War 3 erupted right here at the Niemeyer Nest. Henry and Evie play well most of the time. Occasionally, as in at least once an hour, Evie decides to relocate Henry to another part of the house or instruct him on how a toy works. Sometimes even bonking him on the head for good measure.  Henry is not too keen on this and it results in tears from both kids. Evie is learning how to use "loving hands" with Henry and it's a real process. A process that causes gray hairs to multiply and years are erased off my life as I negotiate this changing sibling relationship. Henry learning to walk has been a total game changer just like everyone had warned.

You'd think nap time would have been a total success after all of this but Henry woke up approximately 15 minutes after Evie finally went to sleep. He was pretty content to have the run of the toys without Evie's watchful eye. Then, we decided to wake up Sleeping Beauty!

Evie was much happier after her nap but then Henry was a mess! Someone seems to always need a little extra reassurance. One of my dear friends told me that she repeats "love is patient, love is kind" over and over in her head all day. What a splendid idea! I need so much help with this that I decided to jot it down on my kitchen chalkboard to remind me to be patient and kind. I am happy to report that it really works!

We were all overjoyed to see Carl when he arrived home! Carl is such a team player that he pitched right in pouring milk, administering Advil to teething babies and cheering up his wife and children after working an 11 hour day at his real job.

Evie went outside to play while Carl worked in the yard. I relished the solitude while putting Henry to bed and thought about my day while mopping the kitchen and folding laundry. One of my favorite Bible verses came to mind:

Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV): “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

As difficult as today seemed, there is no where else that I'd rather be right now than taking care of my two precious children. Carl on the other hand is probably ready to escape to the office as Evie is working her magic on him now! He can handle it and so can I - tomorrow is bound to be a better day.