Confessions of a Grouchy Mom

About once a month I have a grouchy week.  I know this is nothing new to the world of women.  It doesn't matter if I'm pregnant, nursing, or "normal"-- once a month I'm convinced life stinks and I'd like to curl up in my bed for a few days, eat pounds of chocolate, and watch Jane Austen movies to oblivion.

Due to life's responsibilities, I rarely indulge in such activities (except the chocolate part).  But this is a week I thought about it a lot. Why have I been grouchy?  Call it hormonal, call it six children, call it an overextended mom, call it anything you want, but it was ugly. 

 I think it has something to do with these two.  This picture captured moment of peace between brothers, but the teasing of Cannon hit a frenzied pitch this week.   This big problem is that Cannon seriously dishes it out--hitting, biting, clawing, destroying property--, but all it takes is a scary face to send him running off screaming.  It is kind of funny, and I can understand why the other kids get such a kick out of such easy retaliation, but still.  It's not nice and it needs to stop.  The punishment?  Instant time-out for anyone caught purposely teasing Cannon.   

 

A tea-party with friends is great fun.  Painting is great fun.  Building forts with blankets, chairs, and pillows is great fun.  Reading books, drawing pictures, playing dress-up, all fun, fun, fun, and MESS, MESS, MESS!  

I love my kids, I love mothering them and I wouldn't want to be doing anything else, but some weeks are harder/messier than other weeks.  Or maybe we are just lazier some weeks to get the messes cleaned up.  I don't know.  I'm always torn between making peace with the mess vs. conquering the mess. 

Years ago Abe's mom gave me a little plaque with a picture of a mother pulling a child in a wagon with the saying, "Let the cobwebs gather and the dust bunnies grow, Your child will be grown before you know".  I'm sure this is true, and I do try to remember it.

I mean, stuffed foxes having a tea party of their own under the table--that is fun.  I especially like the flower in the gray fox's fur.  There is no reward for having the cleanest house on the block.  Now, I realize there is no reward for having the messiest one either.  But houses are meant to be lived in.  I love the kids having their friends over to play, and kids and play= mess.  My kiddos are pretty good about cleaning up when they are asked to without complaining.  So, I will now stop my complaining.  I will take one giant CHILL PILL and go to bed.
After all, tomorrow is another day and we have a leaf party planned.  We purposefully haven't raked our leaves yet because we had to wait for enough to fall to have a proper leaf party.  At a leaf party we get to rake the leaves into rooms and roads and pathways all over the lawn.  This was my favorite outdoor game to play-- I'm quite excited.  I hope there's no wind.  Eventually we'll have to rake them up for real, but there is much fun to be had first!