A good day

An hour ago I don't think I would have said today was a good day. I worked last night and I left work feeling tired and dreading a day of too little sleep and patience to deal with three small kids. I came home and decided to read a bit before napping. I only have about 5 hours from the time I get home until I have to get ready to get the kids from school so even a few minutes of reading is time away from precious sleep but I'd gotten a new book from the library on Wednesday and had enjoyed the first 30 pages on the train. Two hours later as I heard Mr. 1 stirring upstairs from his morning nap and our lovely nanny going to get him, I realized I was only about 30 pages from the end. It was a wonderful book - the perfect book for after a long tiring night - but this left only about 2 hours before I had to be up. Two hours later my alarm went off and I was off to pick up the boys. They were in generally good spirits initially but quickly fell apart as I tried to stop for groceries on the way home. They argued with each other, tried to push the cart into people, wouldn't listen to me, and I had thoughts of leaving them in the store and going home for some peace and quiet. Instead I tried to gather my sleep-deprived patience and get us out as quick as possible. We got home and the arguing continued. It ended with Mr. 5 in full scale temper tantrum after losing his new toys for the rest of the day. It was then that I just about gave up but we had company coming - a family in difficult times who shares dinner with us two nights a week - so we somehow all pulled ourselves together.

I put together a rather tasty dinner of cha han and gyoza and almost everyone liked it (our young friends can be a bit picky), Mr. 5 set the table (although took a good bit of prodding), we went to the park after dinner and played a great game of baseball and everyone tried even though batting can be frustrating when you're still learning, and best of all the kids cleaned up the playroom and the office while I put Mr. 1 to bed. I emerged after snuggling a sleepy baby to a clean house (minus the kitchen which looked like a cyclone hit it and the dining room which looked like a rice explosion had occurred) and we ate apple cobbler and giggled at Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle's Magic. We read about Jesus healing the Centurion's servant, prayed together, and snuggled. Now I'm sitting in a clean kitchen and my children are fast asleep. And I'm happy - despite my sleep-deprived state. Despite losing my temper at the store. Despite temper tantrums and rice explosions and whining. It was a good day - filled with craziness and grace - just the way we like it.

Afterthought: The book I was reading is called "Step, Ball, Change" by Jeanne Ray. I had read Eat Cake last year and really enjoyed it and enjoyed this one just as much. It's about a happily married couple that is trying to make it through some crazy family drama and they're the kind of family that I hope my family will be. Anyone welcome anytime, whatever the circumstances. There's a great scene in the book where they're having dinner and different people keep showing up and she just keeps getting out more plates and finding more chairs. I think it was worth trading in the sleep to read a good book - sometimes you just need to curl up with a good book.