“But the teacher said to wear boots that are NOT snow boots!” a tearful Clara insisted as we hurried out the door. It was field trip day. Conner Prairie. Rain in the forecast.
“Honey, I told you, the only boots that fit you are snow boots! They will have to do. I’m sure it will be fine,” I pleaded with her as I scrambled to write a check for the field trip, find the backpack, fill the coffee mug and grab the keys. Where were the darned snow boots, anyway?
“But she said NO SNOW BOOTS!” She was really starting to lose it.
I sucked in my breath.
“I need a moment so I don’t….get….too…angry….”
I thumped down the stairs, loaded the baby into the car, took a few breaths, and went back to carry my still-shoeless kindergartener down the stairs, with as much gentleness as I could muster, determined to tackle the snow boots crisis.
The mini-catastrophes of daily life with kids always seem to pound my nerves much harder when I’m short on sleep. Fridays tend to be the toughest – when 5 days of late worknights and early school mornings have left me feeling wrung dry like a used dishrag draped over the faucet. Sometimes, like last night, I even DREAM about being exhausted. Too tired to sleep restfully. Coffee helps – some. 12 hours of sleep would help more.
This weekend, between baseball games, I am counting on sneaking in as many extra zzzzzz’s as I possibly can, so I can find my smile a little more readily the next time a crisis of “snow boots” proportions occurs.
Please, kiddos, cooperate! Mama just needs a little rest so she can recharge the batteries.
May your weekend be restful too.
