The Perfect Storm, the Perfect Calm

Element #1: My in-laws are moving. That means that for the past several weeks, they have been busy packing boxes, looking at houses, and fretting over appraisals, inspections and repairs. Therefore, very stressed and not very available to watch my boys. So my mom has been picking up the slack.

Element #2: It is tax time, spring, and finally time to sell my grandmother's house all at the same time. So my mom is sorting through records, sweating in her yard, and planing trips to Illinois to meet with relators and such. When she isn't watching my kids four days a week or more.

Element #3: My husband is not as proactive in taking primary care of our children as I would wish. Yesterday, he told me that he was taking a half day off for a dentist appointment, so after that and a hair cut, he would pick up our toddler so Mom would just have to worry about the newborn. He didn't, for reasons I am still not clear.

Element #4: Doodlebug had a little tummyache, and spent most of the day crying. Bugaboo was practicing the fine art of jealousy, disrespect, and doing whatever he had been told not to do. All while crying and whining whenever his little brother cried. By the time I picked (both of them) up after work, everyone was in tears, including my mother.

So last night, I arranged for me to stay home this morning, and for my mother in law to watch the kids in the afternoon. Mom gets a day "off", can de-stress, and get some things done.

Then last night, my father-in-law asked Bugaboo if he wanted to spend the night with them in the hotel, but he had to ask me. It was so cute, he walked right up to me and starting giving me kisses. So I packed off my tempermental toddler for the evening, my husband fell asleep on the couch by 8:30, and tucked my newborn into his crib. I was alone, all alone, and had the morning to get things done. I put a DVD in, and knit. That was the longest continuous time I have knit for . . . I can remember how long.

This morning, I slept in (which was not part of the original plan, but was changed during the 90 minutes of waking time between 4 and 5:30 am), have laundry going, fixed a filling breakfast, and will clean the kitchen. And I think I will still have time to do some knitting.

Today, it is all about the combined elements.