Monday, February 11, 2008

Exercise in Patience

Ok, inhale -- deeeeeep breath -- and exhale, slooooooowly. Repeat. Again. Again. Hmm. My shoulders have lowered ever so slightly from their stress-induced position immediately below my earlobes.

Boy, what an evening. We went to a birthday party this afternoon for twins that are Anna's classmates. The party was at a small play center very close to our house. We've been there before for birthday parties so I should have known what to expect. The party went from 3 to 5. I had the brilliant idea of letting Anna have a playdate after school with one of her friends and then I took the two girls (and Elsa) to the party at 3. Anna and Elsa had a great time at the party running around, jumping in a bouncy castle, riding in little play cars, eating junk food and lots of sweets. By the time we got home, they were both pooped but really wound up. I should have marched them straight to the bathroom for their bath and put them to bed. Instead, I started doing other things and didn't get them to bed until 8:15. From about 6:15 until about 8:15, I think Anna may have set a world's record for the number of tantrums thrown in a two hour period. It took absolutely ever ounce of my self-control not to go ballistic. I really hate evenings like this, that seem to end on such a bad note. I have got to remember to get the girls into their beds before 8, otherwise I have to deal with too many tears and tantrums before bedtime.

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