Today was one of those days where nothing seemed to go right, and everything was terrible and awful. Really, nothing major or catastrophic happened. I think it just happened that everyone in our family was grouchy or tired or grumpy, and things just devolved into a pile of annoyance.
The day started out fine.
Chris and Caleb were camping with the Boy Scouts, so it was just me and the little three. I set the timer on the coffee pot so that I would have a fresh pot of coffee waiting for me when I woke up, and Daisy had the decency to sleep/play quietly in her bed until after 7, which never happens.
But then I had to tell her to get dressed for church four times.
And we couldn't be late because I was working in the nursery.
And Lily, who typically sleeps until 7:30 or 8, woke up at 6:50.
*grumble, grumble, grouch*
We made it to church on time and my sweet friend Jessica filled Chris' spot in the nursery, so I got to spend the morning drinking coffee and talking with a friend, but Eli was unusually unhappy.
And then we got home and Chris and Caleb got home and Caleb was exhausted and Daisy didn't know how to behave around the brother she missed so badly and Lily was overtired and so was Eli and... yuck.
My mom stopped by on her way home from church, so at least there was a brief moment of sunshine.
Hi, naked baby!
Eli had just finished demolishing a lunch of gluten-free seed bread, sweet potato, and banana. I say "demolishing" rather than "eating", because I'm not sure whether he actually consumed anything, or just broke it into pieces and smeared it on his plate. Either way, he was covered in food and had to have a thorough wipe-down before he could be handed off to Grandma.
Finally, finally, finally, it was nap time for everyone. Caleb and Daisy freaked out when Chris told them that they needed to take a nap.
It was Oktoberfest this weekend, and I really wanted to go. Do you remember exactly a year ago when we went and had so much fun? Chris and I devised a plan, in which we would bring dinner to Oktoberfest instead of waiting in absurd lines to pay ridiculous prices for not-so-great food. I sent him to the store to pick up provisions, only to discover while he was gone that Oktoberfest was over at 5:00 today. It was 3:15 and Lily was still napping, and I realized that Oktoberfest wasn't going to happen for us this year.
So instead, we took our picnic to a nearby park.
Eli was pretty happy with that!
Daisy, however...
Girl is a mess. I keep telling myself that it's just the fact that she's four. She was a delightful three-year-old, and will be a fabulous five-year-old. Four is just challenging. But boy, she is a mean four-year-old, especially to Caleb.
Eventually, it was time to stop playing and start eating our picnic dinner.
Three little ducklings, lined up in a row!
Where's the fourth, you ask?
On a blanket with Daddy, eating a carrot and some clementine.
I laughed really hard at this picture, remembering my dad's days working for the airlines and all of the stories he told about crazy people with tin foil in their hats to protect them from the microwaves.
When she doesn't know I'm watching, Daisy is sweet.
Then she looks up, notices me, and turns on this face:
Not to be outdone...
It's Foil Man!
Oh my goodness. This girl and her eyes.
She tripped and fell and scraped her knee and palm. Both were bleeding, and we barely realized it. The girl is tough as nails; it's a stark contrast to her dramatic big brother and sister, who wail and gnash their teeth at a hangnail.
Before we headed home for an early bedtime, I tried to take a picture of all four on the stone ledge.
Don't worry, Ma. Chris was right behind the ledge, spotting Eli the whole time. He was never at risk.
This cracks me up. Daisy is trying so hard to be helpful: she is giving me her best painful grimace smile and trying to force Eli to smile, too.
Realizing it wasn't working, I asked the kids to show me their best silly faces.
Even sweet Lily does a silly face now, which is awesome. I love that the older three are being silly, and Eli looks utterly offended by their silly faces.
And then we came home and they screamed and cried and Eli was ridiculous about bedtime and I wished I could go away for a long while. But this is just a season, and a short one at that. So, with the help of an extra glass of wine, I am counting my many blessings today, and I am thankful.
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