The Days That End With Wine

From time to time, our little family hits a Saturday where the kids just... seem to have this pent up, built up, need to be frustrating and annoying. They aren't being Bad. They are being kids- plain old, regular old kids. But about once every 2 months, they both hit a Saturday on the same day where they are a little extra demanding, a little extra clingy, a little extra questioning. This past weekend was one of those Saturdays. From the moment they woke up, it was one demand or request after another. And if the response wasn't what was wanted, there was whining. Not a lot- just enough to push the envelope. We had soccer Saturday morning- Teagan's first day in any sport, ever. She did awesome for most of it- and fell apart by the end. Given the demands and whiny-ness of the morning, I wasn't really surprised. Both kids took good naps in the afternoon. I think both are having growth spurts- I can't keep up with the food demands and there are the slightly annoyingly grating behaviors and they are both sleeping more... usually means growing. I headed out for the afternoon- a 2 hour Zumba for Autism event at a friend's gym. It was awesome and I might be completely hooked. Got home... kids were better than before but still pushy and demanding. Jeff was at his wit's end... so I showered, got dinner all set, took the kids out to run an errand and sent Jeff off for some alone time. I have to admit... it was just... one of those days... It's one of my favorite strategies, I have to admit. I get to take a few hours to myself and then give Jeff the chance to do the same. Or, we split the kids up. Then we each get some one on one time with the kids and each kid is infinitely better behaved when they are one on one with a parent. So while Jeff was gone, I got the kids in the tub. While the kids soaked in the tub, I enjoyed (immensely) a glass of Zinfandel Port. The wine had been a gift from Christy in celebration of the Race for the Cure. I was very relaxed as I sat in the bathroom, on the lid of the toilet, drinking my wine, reading my Sookie Stackhouse book while the kids enjoyed a good half hour in a bubble bath. They didn't fight or get crazy with splashing or bubble wars. Bedtime was so easy- I was a mixture of exhuasted from 2 hours of pretty intense cardio (did I mention I loved it??) and relaxed from that lovely wine. We read books, we tucked in, backs were rubbed... and then it was quiet and the day was over. It's hard for me to know if those kinds of days are more about the kids or more about us as the adults. Were Jeff and I just extra sensitive to the complaints and demands? Were we all feeling pent up because of the impending rainy day? Were the kids really in a synced up pattern of difficulty? Who knows, really. All I know is... it was one of those days that just ends better if Mommy gets a little something to take the edge off.