We're All Just Kind of Winging It

It appears that everyone is going through what I'm going through here.  I've been looking through status updates, reading what all my friends are going through with their kids and the end-of-the-summer craziness.  A few days ago I would have blamed it on the full moon.  Two days ago I would have blamed it on lack of sleep.  Yesterday I tried to blame it on the fact that the kids hadn't had enough water and I forgot to give them their vitamins.

Yeah, I'm desperate.

The only thing I have left to blame it on is my lack of parenting skills.

But it's OK.  I own it.  Today I was officially one of the worst mommies on the block.  And it's OK.  Really.  I mean, I started out with good intentions.  I told them last night when Nana came to put them to bed (so my hubs could take me out for the best surprise anniversary dinner ever) that, if they were good, we would go on a surprise adventure today.  Of course, I had this little playdate planned a week ago, but they didn't know that.  So when Nana told me they were angels (like she'd say anything else!), I was happy to let them know that we were going somewhere fun ... somewhere they'd never been before.  So we loaded up the car, put on our swimsuits and sunscreen and headed out. 

I was sooo excited to try something new.  You've heard me talk about how I had all these big plans for the summer -- free movies, free bowling, play dates, swimming, summer reading programs -- and most of them never came to fruition.  So I figured that, this being the last day of summer vacation, today was as good a day as any.

When we pulled up to the Riverside Sprayground in Roswell (after a 45 minute drive!!), I was giddy and the kids were squealing in their seats.  When we got inside, the excitement lasted about 10 minutes.  After the initial excitement wore off, Kendall started with the, "I'm too big for this, Mom," and Tanner followed with the, "I'm ready to go-o-o."  SO OVER IT.  I am.  I tried to stretch the play time.  We attempted the playgrounds, but the slides were way too hot.  We ended up eating "lunch" at 11, playing in the spray for a few more minutes (just so I could selfishly talk to my friend), and then heading home at noon.  We lasted an hour and a half, after a 45 minute drive.

Argh.

So after we got home, I was spent.  And I became the worst mom in the world.  The kids are over each other. They are over me.  I am over them.  Yes, I said it.  I honestly found myself purposely moving away from them this afternoon -- when they went upstairs, I stayed down.  When they came down, I went up.  And I feel really bad about it.   I just had a "grown up night" last night without them.  And I get to have another one tomorrow night.  So why are they making me so crazy?  And why am I finding myself constantly yelling at them and getting irritated with them?

So here I am.  OK with being a bad mom for the day.  Drinking my glass of wine.  Catching up on my Days of Our Lives because they seem to be the only "people" who are nuttier than I am right now.  (I mean, seriously, who has twins with two different daddies??)

And I'm being thankful for status updates and what they say -- and how they make me feel like it's OK that I'm just winging it ...

And that I'm not the only one. :0)