Yesterday

Lately, I've been feeling like some days are just plain crazy. I only have two kids, and somehow I feel overwhelmed at the thousand routines that is our daily life. (I started cloth diapering for both girls last week. Yes, I really am going crazy, I think.) I absolutely love it, and wouldn't trade it for anything, but sometimes I can feel my blood pressure rising.

Yesterday was definitely one of those days. I'm afraid today might follow suit (no one slept much last night), but Elaina just fell asleep for her first nap, and Chloë is quietly singing and reading books, so I'm going to sit down at the computer for a few minutes.

Elaina has been really fussy lately. Like whiny, needy, angry fussy. I keep wondering if she's getting sick or cutting teeth, but there are no fevers, ear tugs, or drooling to offer an explanation. So we've been doing lots of extra cuddling and tickling and reading books, but sometimes I do have other things to do.

After dinner last night, Bryan was working on a project, and I sat down at the computer for five minutes. Five. Maybe six. Elaina was pretty happy on her tummy on the floor, and found a newspaper to crumple. Chloë was wandering around, as she often does. She asked me for a snack, and I told her she could finish her dinner, which we had left on the table. So she went into the kitchen, and Elaina was doing great playing on the floor. Yay, a minute of quiet! Then I realized that the minute of quiet had turned into several minutes of quiet. I heard a few very small noises from Chloë at the table, but I assumed she was quietly eating the rest of her dinner.

I turned around to see Elaina happily chewing on pieces of newspaper that she shredded. She had newsprint all over her hands and chin, and was quite pleased with her new game. If it hadn't been a choking hazard, I would have let her play with that newspaper all evening. I think that was the happiest she'd been all day. So I grabbed the camera and snapped a shot.


Camera still in my hand, I went in to the kitchen to see how Chloë was doing on her dinner.


The stick of butter was no longer on the butter dish. I had to turn around so Chloë wouldn't see me trying to hide my laughter. It look me a few seconds to control my expression, so I could address her in all seriousness. I was glad I had a camera in my hands.

I gave the girls baths, and got everything all cleaned up. I sat down to upload the pictures from my camera, when Chloë said, "Oh. Uh-oh. It's red. All red." She had a sprung a spontaneous nose bleed, and was wiping blood everywhere.

So after another clean-up session (and by this time Elaina was screaming again), Bryan could sense that I was feeling a bit overwhelmed. He got the girls all ready for bed, and I sat down and had three cookies and a margarita.

In retrospect, yesterday really wasn't all that nuts. Kids make messes. It's what they do. But praise the Lord for His kindness that life isn't always so messy, for strength when it is, and for joy in all things.