Much better.

All right, so I am much better after my hard day yesterday. I was feeling unbearably impatient with Lara, especially when I went into the kitchen and started making supper. She followed me in so I put her up in the high chair so she could watch me. After emptying all the drawers, she wanted down, but when I put her down, the screaming began. I needed space and relaxation. So I did something I absolutely never, ever do. I popped in some Gilmore Girls and watched TV while Lara played around the house. And I didn't clean ANYthing. The living room was a disaster when Dustin woke up; he laughed, turned around and said, "I'm going back to bed." (He didn't, of course.) But I found this approach was very calming for me. Whenever Lara started to get upset about something or needed help, I was able to hop right up with a good attitude to help her-instead of rolling my eyes and stomping my feet a little. I was able to smile at her and talk to her in a calming voice. Mommy was happy. And I got through, like, 10 episodes of the GGs. So now I have learned another lesson in mommyhood. When things get rough, it's just time to stop. Put out a big, messy toy to keep your little one happy (for us, it was a box of packing peanuts) and put your feet up.

This morning, my house is very clean, the dishes are done, laundry is getting there, and Dustin is at the store with Lara. All is well that ends well.