that sort of bear

I was rather bearish yesterday - it was 'that kind of day.' It is one of those days where when I got about half way through I realized I might as well laugh because it was the option that at least helped me get through.

Let me preface by saying that C is very willful and difficult child. In the past week she has been escalating in contrariness and crabbiness.

First thing in the morning when C woke, I handed her clothes, fresh from the dryer toasty warm. She liked that. I took the dog, Willow, out and when I returned C was lying on the couch saying she was tired and was going to get some more rest. We will cut out all the reasons for the escalation only to say that it got ugly.

Finally, C is seated and eating.

I got K up and seated and eating at which she threw a tantrum cause she wanted to play. I quickly got dressed and C finished eating I spent ten to fifteen minutes with her talking about God and why she should love and honor God and us. I felt as if I were talking to a brick wall.

Then it was time to take C to school. Hubby wanted me to get the Highlander washed before he went to pick up his Mom at the airport (tonight) and so I thought it would be best to take K with me to drop C off and then go directly to the car wash as to get there before it got busy. K threw another fit as she wanted to stay with her Dad which she often does when I take C to school.

We arrive at school after another fit by K as she wanted to listen to 'Winnie the Pooh' rather than "A Wrinkle in Time." We drop C off and I head the opposite direction from normal as I am heading to the car wash. K screams bloody murder cause she wants to go home.

We arrive at the car wash - it is closed due to the potential for inclement weather.

So we head back north. I figure, I will stop at Goodwill to see if they have Jane Eyre for next month's book club as I seem to have gotten rid of my copy (I often do that with classics - figuring that if I want to read them again, I can pick it up cheap second hand). When we got there, I decided to allow K to ride in the cart's basket rather than the seat as C wasn't with us. As I stop to check something, I do not notice that K is standing and as I gently pull the cart back to turn it around I see her lean out over the end and do a slow motion flip to land on her forehead.

We spend the next half an hour in the office with the store manager as she hunt and pecks out the accident report and K consumes two suckers. She now sports a huge egg size bruise on her forehead.

We do the grocery shopping. We stop at school and pick up C who asks to find out what is going on with Mrs Whatsit. So I change the book again without incident. We arrive home I put C in a snowsuit and send her out to play. I run a bath full of bubbles and pop K in to play. I call the phone company and unload groceries. I get the girls dressed and do something that is not allowed during the week. I put them in front of the television for lunch and go downstairs to vacuum the basement in preparation for the MIL's visit. I put the girls down for their naps and figure that the day is finally turning around.

I start an apple pie for hubby's birthday. Our pie pan is a bit larger than average so I like to half-again the recipe for the crust. As I go to roll out the crust, I realize that I double everything but the flour. So I add the flour - resigned to a less flaky crust. I finish the pie and make bread and salmon chowder for supper.

I spend the remainder of the afternoon cleaning. When C wakes up I let her take her bath. Hubby calls and says he is leaving work and will try stopping at the DMV to renew his license and stop at the gas station to fill his car.

He comes home saying the lines at the DMV are out the door again. C decides she wants ice cubes to play with in the tub (I find it a great tub toy). We were low on ice cubes and I told her no I wanted to let the ice cube maker catch up. Another prolonged battle - which I let my husband finish.

Finally, we are seated around the table eating. And I taste the soup. It is sweet - really sweet as if I dumped half a cup of sugar in it or something. Hubby agrees. I finally get up and go to the fridge and check out the container of half and half that I used. It was vanilla half and half.

We got the girls to bed slightly late with no more difficulty than is average.

And I worked on some ice luminaries I am making - that I hope to put on the front step to greet the MIL tonight.

It was a day.

At one point I resorted to singing 'this is the day that the Lord has made' to myself. I find hymns an even deeper source of perspective and calmness when my days are difficult but when I cast about for a song yesterday - it was 'this is the day' a light chorus based on that glorious Psalm 118:24.

This is the day the LORD has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.