It's only Tuesday.

It's already one of those days. This morning my neighbour invited the girls and I to go to Kinsmen to play in the bouncy house they have set up for kids. Since it's a super rainy day, i figured I'd haul ass (sorry but it's true) and get there for 10:30am so Wren would have enough time to play and still make it home for a nap in good time. I got ready and packed up and actually got the girls in the car at 10 and met my neighbour. I set up the stroller after a good 5 minutes of standing in the rain in the parking lot trying to remember how to attach the second seat and we made it inside...only to find that they don't do the bouncy house once "summer" rolls around and there was no play gym available for the kids today. There was nothing for us at all. Seriously...?

Because Wren was up at 5:00am today, she wasn't going to last if we drove somewhere else and started over. So we went home. She had a huge tantrum at the backdoor because we couldn't go for a walk in the pouring rain. We had the neighbours over and it was a solid hour of mayhem as the toddlers ripped apart the living room. After they left Wren finally fell asleep for her nap late only to wake up crying 45 min later. Thankfully she fell back asleep and now here I am typing with one hand as Ellie refuses to be laid down and I vent in a blog post about my morning.

I don't even need to ask if other parents reading this have had a similar experience. I already know the answer.
I have a mom-friend that once told me that she actually hates play dates (as in going to someone else's home and letting your kids play together while you "visit"). I know what she means. You don't really get a chance to visit with your friend, and you spend 95% of your time trying to reign your child in from doing something they shouldn't or ensuring they are playing nicely. Your conversations are constantly cut off and unfinished and then you have to pull them out the door to go home to try to get home as fast as possible so they don't fall asleep in the car and wreck their nap for the day. And you might be somewhat starving if the house you went to didn't have snacks and you didn't bring any except for your kid.
That sounds all very negative, but I'll be honest, sometimes it feels that hard to make a playdate work (like this morning), but sometimes it's fine and the craziness isn't that bad and you don't mind putting in all that effort just to get together with a friend and give your kid something to do. It depends on the day I guess.

What's made my days more challenging lately is that Wren will not fall asleep at bedtime easily and then she wakes up between 5 or 5:30am and is a bear for the rest of the day. After two weeks of this now, she seems exhausted. It's frustrating. I don't know how to fix it either. I know that it's a phase and things always change when it comes to kids but it's not easy when you are waiting for that to happen.

Lately I've really enjoyed reading little snipits out of my new book, The Sartorialist by Scott Schuman. I got it for Mother's Day (yay!..how did they know??) and it's the perfect book to pick up and browse and put down when needed. It's mostly photos but I like reading his commentary throughout. I don't have the attention span or time right now to read a novel and remember the plot every time I get a moment to pick it up, so this book is perfect.

Stinkers.

Well, I hear that Wren has woken from her nap...crying...so it's now time to start part two of our day. I'd say it's time to throw on Shrek 3 and take it easy (I don't mind putting it on for the millonth time just for this character alone!). Some days just shouldn't require much effort at all. :)