A bit of a rut...

I'm not very good at posting lately. Sorry. Not quite sure what happened but things seem to have really picked up around here and I am barely hanging on waiting for the ride to stop, or at least slow down a bit.

Does anyone else feel like all they do everyday, all day is clean? Seriously, how can two small children make so many messes? I asked Scott if it is me just being my obsessive self, but we both agree our children are actually little tornadoes. If you follow me on Facebook, you would have read my status yesterday about leaving Abbie alone for a few minutes and coming back to find her covered head to toe in BLACK magic marker. Despite my stern lecture she was very pleased with her masterpiece. Luckily, hand sanitizer works like a charm and those dark, black lines have faded to grey. Let's hope they are completely gone by Saturday, in time for our family photos.

Then there's the few incidences this week when Abbie has quietly escaped the house by unlocking the front door and was making her way around the neighborhood. The first time I noticed her out of the window, she was strutting her stuff down the street with her princess high heels on and a glittery purse over her shoulder. Everyone keeps telling me I should at least be grateful she wasn't nude and she was smart enough to take her purse. True. She has reserved her spontaneous streaking moments for our eyes only and I am sure I will appreciate her sense of style one day. But still....how many times am I going to have to chase her up the street, lecture and give time outs before she gets it?

Last week I decided threats, yelling and dirty looks were not really getting me anywhere. I have found myself "snapping" a little more often than I use to. Not my proudest mommy moments. So, this week we have been trying to change our approach to discipline with Caden and Abbie. No joke, on Monday I was in "time out" at least ten times with Abbie trying to rationally explain what is acceptable and what is not. I know I can't expect major changes overnight, but if this doesn't work I may be back to beating them (I'm teasing, please don't report me).

That's just a taste of what my week has been like and I admit, I have a bad attitude. I'm feeling stressed, over worked, under appreciated and a bit empty. I have been in survivor mode, instead of really living and enjoying my life. I do this from time to time, get in a rut for a week or so, and it's not fun for anyone. So today, I have decided to stop and breathe.

There will be no cleaning, no laundry, no getting dressed, sandwiches for dinner, no dragging the kids around trying to run errands and no work. Today, there will be no stress and no mean mom.

We are going to lay around watching movies, eat a picnic lunch, lay on the grass and soak up these last few days of warm weather, play with our friends and not care how dirty we get and eat dessert after lunch AND dinner.