Is it bedtime yet??!

Today is not going so great for me.

Ben is in rare form. He must think to himself before he enters each room....Hmmm...what is the one thing in this room that mom really doesn't want me to touch?! He is in destructo mode today, pulling things out as fast as he possibly can. What is fun about pulling every DVD out of its case and throwing it on the floor I ask you? And really, where is the fun in throwing the folded laundry all over the family room?

To make matters worse, I haven't slept. Not much anyway. I feel like I am just about at my breaking point. You know, the point where you are ready to just collapse onto the floor and burst into tears. At least, that's what happens to me.

And to make matters even WORSE, Ben has finally discovered that he can climb out of his crib. I must confess, I thought this day would come much sooner, and for this I should be grateful. But his timing is, once again, impeccable. Of course he would choose now, when I need him to take a nap more than ever, to decide he has much better things to do. He and I are in the midst of a serious power struggle right about now, and my lack of sleep isn't helping matters.

There is so much to be done. I can't seem to get on top of things. I just simply don't know if I have what it takes to get it all done today. Homework, practicing, dance, dinner, laundry (yes, it must be folded again), etc., etc., etc.

What I really wanted today, more than anything, was for all three boys to take a nap this afternoon so I could take a nap. Oh, foolish me. What was I thinking?

Well, it was a semi-reasonable thought. After all, Ben and Luke were up until who knows when last night, given Ben's new-found crib freedom. And usually Will just sleeps the day away. But alas, today is not to be one of those days. Will is bugged by something, and peaceful sleep seems to be eluding him this afternoon.

And so here I sit, complaining to the world about my sorry case. Poor, poor me.

Alright, enough wallowing in self-pity. That has never gotten me ANYWHERE! Time to look on the bright side of things.

First there is Will, the source of my exhaustion. I must confess, I adore him. What a blessing it is to have such a sweet, healthy little boy join our family. At least if I have to go without sleep, it is for a good cause!! And tonight, Brek will take Will for the first shift of the night and I might get three whole hours of uninterrupted sleep. This may not seem like much to you, but to me it would be a welcome change to my past few nights!

The bottom line is this....Life is hard. It is hard for each and every one of us in its own way. Sometimes it is harder than others. But then, that's how we grow and become better people. And at the end of the day, I am so grateful that, despite the hardships, I am surrounded by people that I love!