Rough Days

We have all had days go wrong. Days where nothing seems to go as planned and you can't seem to get anything on your to do list finished. How many of us have had days in a row like this? Or weeks?

That's how I feel right now. That even though I have had weeks off from nanny-ing, I haven't been able to accomplish much at all. One thing after another seems to happen to throw off achieving a sense of "normal". Visits from grandparents and going to visit the other grandparents was fun, but traveling is always tiring. Melody discovered how to throw HUGE fits (I would almost call them temper tantrums.) Stay-cation with Daddy at home was awesome, but again- not the usual routine. Melody wound up sick with a cold/ear infection, then we discovered she was allergic to amoxycillin. Then we had 16 month check up and shots that made her feel bad. Add to that a UTI on my part, then add to that an allergy to sulpha drugs. That is our July.

The last two days I thought, "This week we will get to relax. The last week of July at least can be more normal." Well... not quite. Because of all the "disruptions" in our normal life, Melody has gotten away with everything from not napping, to napping twice in one day, to having Mommy rock her to sleep. Then yesterday and today she has only had 45 minute naps (not nearly long enough for mommy!) and today she boycotted falling asleep in the first place. Crying for 45 minutes before she decided to sleep. Then of course, the lack of napping leads to lots of crankiness and fit throwing.

Here is where I fall short. When Melody goes nuts, I tend to go nuts with her. When she cries to get her way, I want to cry too. I think I take the ups and downs as a mother a little personally, feeling responsible when she does well and when she does something like throw herself on the ground screaming and pounding the floor with her fists because I took a toy away from her.

So I am taking a moment to take a deep breath right now. Melody is happily playing behind me. She found a napkin and is proceeding to scrub the floor, a box, anything around her actually. (I am sort of inspired by how much joy she seems to find in 'cleaning'- haha!) Our day is not ruined from a rough early afternoon and there is strength and peace available to me if I will reach out for it.

What do you do to take control of your emotions on a crazy day?

Lord, help me have the maturity to move on from the rough few days we have had and embrace a new start. "The old has gone, the new has come. " Lord, renew me. Make my spirit strong and help me have a sense of humor when things get a little crazy. I receive your grace in my own shortcomings. Thank you for never leaving me, even when I want to pull my hair out.