A Case of the Grumps

Everyone is so grumpy lately.  You'd think the Christmas spirit and all that would have taken over by now.  Maybe its because we haven't decorated our tree yet.  Maybe its my hormones.  I am so tired of the grumpy around here.

The kids freak when I give them chores after school.  Honestly, this isn't new.  Why all the protesting?  They have a snack and do their homework.  Then they have to do whatever quick cleanups need to be done - put laundry away, clean up rooms, take out trash, whatever.  Its not like I'm making them clean the oven or scrub the showers.  But all three of them stomp, flop onto the floor, cry like two-year olds and make me want to sell them to the gypsies.  Emma is particularly bad these days.  She tells me everyday that I'm "ruining her life!" "this is the worst day EVER!"  "you hurt my feelings!" and that I'm "the meanest mom!"  I need a good tantrum cure.  She's six.  How are we going to handle puberty?

Noah is driving me to the edge with his laziness, too.  I know that on some level this is funny; but not in the moment.  Yesterday, I asked him to put away his book several times.  Each time, he jumped up and ran to the task.  First I found it on the coach, then the kitchen table, then under the Christmas tree and finally on the floor outside my bedroom before I really exploded.  That is classic Noah.  Sometimes he is just lazy and sometimes he gets distracted.  He loses things all the time because he can't remember where he set them down.  Usually because it's in a totally-random-makes-no-sense-to-put-it-there kind of place.  Example:  cereal bowl in the bathroom drawer?  I discovered that a couple weeks ago.  I don't even want to think about why someone would have their cereal in the bathroom.  Gross.

Tyler has good days and bad days.  My biggest frustration is that he's such a bully of an older brother .  I know that is somewhat normal.  He has such a short temper, but I have noticed he's trying harder to control it.  He'll explode and then I'll make him sit it out for a bit.  And I can visibly see him take deep breaths and calmly speak an apology to me.  Its almost like I can see his thoughts while he's talking himself down from that angry place.  I just hope he's not plotting dark adventures for the future.  Overall, though, he is the most helpful around here when he's on his game. 

And Chance?  Well....he's rather grumpy these days, too.  He's going through another rough patch at work.  I won't go into details other than I pray he'll find a new position every day.  I fantasize about his boss calling while I'm in labor so that I can yell and swear at her for all the horrible things she's done over the last year.  Because I'd be in labor and you can't hold a woman accountable for things she says during labor, right?  Just ask my sweet Aunt Toni. 

I'm probably the grumpiest of all.  Of course, I don't feel like I am.  In fact, I feel like I've been remarkably patient with everyone for being nine months pregnant.  I'm sure I've got a distorted view here, but since I'm the one writing this, there's no one to argue the point.  Actually, I wouldn't call what I'm feeling "grumpy".  I'm more worried than anything.  Worried about the baby, worried that Chance will have a heart attack because of stress, worried about the kids and their individual problems, worried my water will break while I'm at Target.  Worried, worried worried.  Sometimes it is so hard to be an adult.  It would be nice to just run to the playground and swing for a couple hours or go and color a picture or two.  My Emma loves to do those things right now.  It makes me want to freeze time so she doesn't have to grow up and worry about anything.



"Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise."
~Victor Hugo, Les Miserables