Breaking Even

This morning was fantastic. John got up with the kids, made pancakes and coffee (a treat for a Monday), stayed with us all morning until we could take him to work on our way to a playdate. The playdate was fantastic. A great time catching up with a friend I haven't seen in a while and her two little ones K's and J's age. We stayed through lunch and came home for naptime. It was going so, so well.

Then naptime didn't happen. My packing and housework subsequently didn't happen. I still had a grocery run to make and a few other errands to do and it was coming close to 4:30. I knew it was not going to go well taking the kids to the store that late in the afternoon, but I knew it had to be done. Let's just say I was just about in tears by the time we got home.

Toddlers will be toddlers and babies will be babies, and that is just the way it is. But food still needs to be procured, and laundry still needs to be done, and somewhere in all of that there has to be a way to teach the toddler not to push the baby off whatever toy he's on just because she wants it right then. But I couldn't figure it out today.

What do I take away from a day like today when I'm just breaking even--on a day I know God granted I get somethings so right, and at other times I know my human nature got it so wrong? I have to get better at letting go, at placing the flower on the owie crown. I think what I can take away is that I can remember how great the morning was. And I can try again tomorrow.