Aggravation Station

Otherwise known as family fatigue. I'm going to complain. And it's going to sound whiny and horrible and incredibly stupid. But sometimes you just gotta do it.

My family is starting to remind me of quacking ducklings. Only instead of saying quack, they say, "Mom" or "Andi." Constantly. And it's driving me crazy. I wake up extra early to get some quiet time, maybe to run or do some research, and inevitably one of them hears me and gets up to hang out with me. Lovely. I'm happy to give them a few extra cuddles, but some day I want to reclaim my lap, or at least my lap at 5:30 a.m. 

Anyway, I hold my children, I shower, I feed my children while they irritate the shit out of each other at the breakfast table. Then I take off early for work, my husband drops the kids off. Inevitably I get a call. "Is Ragsy's lunch packed? Does he need to wear his swimsuit? Now or later? What are they doing today? Does Evelyn need a swimsuit? What are they doing today? Did you drop off the check? We need to do X, Y, Z (code for I need to do X, Y, Z)." Then I go into meetings, usually double or triple booked until 4:30, when I go pick up the kids. More calls on the way there, sometimes from my husband. I get the kids in the car. They argue.

I take them to the activity of the day. The one not involved in said activity sits with me and talks, gets bored, tries to climb on me, plays with a friend, comes back, climbs on me some more. I get them into the car, they argue, then we get home. "When is dinner? What are we having? Where are we eating it? Why can't we have something else? Why do I need to shower? Can I play? What should I play? Can I have a friend over? When do I get a friend over? Mom, what are you doing? Can I do that, too?"

Kids arguing about going to bed. Kids arguing with my husband. My husband complaining about them arguing to me while they're arguing. Kids arguing in bed with me, with each other, over who I'm putting to bed. Finally they're in bed. My husband then complains about the kids who were arguing and complaining. He asks, "What are we going to do now? Did you eat dinner? What did you have? Is there more? Can I have some? When do I get some? Why are you going running? You didn't get to do it this morning? Why do you wake up at 5:30 if you don't run in the morning? Well, why can't you just send the kids back to bed?"

This must be one reason people meditate. To avoid becoming homicidal, annoyance-filled rage bags. The big things will really piss you off and make you crazy in an instant. The little things erode your sanity more slowly.