It's been one of those days...

This morning I was awakened by Tempe, my 2 1/2 year old standing next to my bed, shaking me asking if she could have candy for breakfast. Huh, wha??? I am so not a morning person and I struggle daily with having to get up early with the kids regardless of how well (or poorly most often) I slept the night before. It is so hard to be joyful with only a few hours of broken sleep and being awakened to nonsense...but with God's grace I am persevering...

So, with my morning off to a rough start the family decided it was cleaning day! Isobel (5) and I washed dishes and folded laundry while my husband moved furniture around. He likes to do this. Every day or so he gets a new bee in his bonnet about how much better the house would look if we just did this one thing... Tempe ran around the house being in as many people's way as she could. That kid has talent. Naturally there were also the five minute intervals of children's misbehavior. Has anyone else noticed a correlation between summer and naughtiness???  Continuing. With the mountain of clean clothes (I hate folding laundry. If I could get away with it, I'd just stuff unfolded clean clothes into drawers. Unfortunately, this fills the drawers much faster...not that I know from personal experience or anything...) finally folded after sitting on the folding table for a few days life seemed better!!! Then...the phone rang...*dun-dun-dun*

It was my Mother in Law. Now, if you know me even slightly you've probably heard about my relationship with my mother in law. We severely dislike each other. Yes, it's completely mutual. I find it extremely difficult to like someone who says (often) that I am a terrible wife and person, and only a mediocre mother. For my husband's sake I do my best (need more help with this, God!!) to love her.  Fortunately, we only see each other once a year for a few days. This helps our relationship. But I usually need many months preparing for the impending visit and as many months recovering from it. And booze. Lots of booze. Anyway, she called to tell us that instead of the planned September visit she was going to make, she'd be arriving July 10th! I literally cried. She is bringing an almost life sized toy Shetland pony with her. Like I needed more toys to trip over...

So frustrating, so annoying, so completely selfish. The house (and I) are no where near ready for a house guest. The "guest room/play room" is currently the storage room. And I have less than two weeks to prepare for her arrival. God grant me strength. And a margarita genie. Do you have those, God?

Still feeling like crying over today. Horribly naughty children and descending in law in addition to my husband being mad at me... just made today unbearable. Yes, my husband's anger is warranted. I should have chosen my words more carefully. Apparently calling his mother "evil incarnate" (however accurate in my opinion) didn't go over well...go figure! I still dread this visit and want to go on vacation during her trip. Anyone want or need a house guest between July 9-18? (No, she isn't staying the whole time. No one is sure how long she's staying...)

Working on peace. And sanity. And loving difficult people. God says to love them, but it sucks. Just going to put that out there...Also working on cleaning the girl's room. I sent them in to do it today and this is what I found later on...

Until the next time friends. I don't know what's going on in your life, or if you have in laws like mine, or a child in the very terrible twos...but hang in there. Life can only get better.