For those days you wanna...

You know that point around 5:30pm?  That point you have the kids running between your legs, you feel like you cannot get anything accomplished, let alone make dinner.  What's a hot meal anymore before 8, that hasn't been delivered, picked up or served at a restaurant while bribing kids with electronics to keep them quiet long enough to choke down food.  Lately its just all been to much.

What happened to the 'when I have kids they will never XYZ'?  It's now about survival while outnumbered 2 to 1.  Especially now that they are preschoolers with opinions, attitudes and question well everything. "why?" Sound familiar? My youngest is in the "why stage", seriously 16 whys deep, you can still not like the answer? But it is still not changing. 

Why? Because you need a bath, you need to be cleaned before bed.

Why? Because it is raining and we cannot go to park it's wet.

Why? Well if I don't get gas for the car now the car will stop moving in another 5 miles. Why? Because the car runs on gas to give power, like you drink your milk for energy. Why? Cars need energy and gas gives energy. Why?  ( at this point I slowly turn up the radio and start singing to move on from whys. Simple answers don't apply they want long explanations for everything! 

Then there are the statements that have me laughing so hard I wish I have a video camera in the car to replay. Just this week:

Jack: Charlotte copies me and always wants to play with my toys and with me and I want her to stop.

me: Well as her big brother she admires you

Jack: I don't want to be her big brother anymore, when I turn 5 she needs to find a new one

Me: Good luck with that Jack. 

I really tried to never say "I would never", because before kids you don't know.  Even now to childless friends I find myself saying "just you wait" or smiling and nodding to their "I will never".  I mean I never imagined my then 2.5yo son yelling in a restaurant over the lack of wifi.  Or getting upset on a road trip his iTouch died.  (Yes, my son and daughter have their own iTouches thanks to an amazing price screw up over a year ago and I am ruining them or creating future tech gurus).

Truth is they are sanity savers for me, the kids can watch their movies, play games and Jack learned to type his name by himself.  They have restrictions on them and do not have access to them all the time, or the appeal would not be as great.  Hey if they want me to complete anything, then I need to have at least 5 minutes of uninterrupted time.  Somedays its all about survival.

I love them, I do but lately I feel myself snapping too often. I thought when they went to school I would have space and have time, yeah right!  I went back to work and started a business.  The time I was going to have "off" became packed with new things, new activities and new events.  So by 8:30 when they have come out of their rooms for the 30th time with the 30th excuse in the 30 minutes since they went to bed (on a good night). I am about to snap or give in and they pass out in my bed because I just need 30minutes, at least, to do something I have pushed off all day.  Instead I wind up being up until midnight nightly or later.  I am really looking forward to the day when I have that time.