The Mystery of a Good Week

I sit here baffled by new feelings of peace and contentment at the end of a week. This week went so well. The kids and I got along better than ever and though the condition of this house leaves much to be desired I don't feel buried by my to-do list.

I actually have a hunch at what made the biggest difference. My renewed patience and more positive attitude after extensive breaks from the kids. 2 breaks a day at camp last week (3 counting nap time!), and "easing back into my role" this week with all the babysitters.

I still feel like I got a lot of time to interact with the kids this week. Their behavior must really be affected by the feedback they get from my mood. For the first time in a long time I felt an emotional connection with Kaylin; this has been a challenge since my bedrest days before Kav! If patience and a better attitude are key to their good behavior, then the lesson of this week will stick with me for years to come.

As far as the part of the equation that involved breaks from the kids - it bugs me if that's part of the solution. I'm a stay-at-home-mom and frequent breaks from kids isn't the lot I chose in life. So what gives? I don't think I'm supposed to work more (except for temporarily due to finances, and I just thought of 2 more restaurants to apply to today, yay!), and I can't keep affording babysitters so often. I find myself jealous of my friends that have local parents who take their kids frequently. I think I need to start my own Forest Lake babysitting co-op. But I'll have to hire a babysitter to have time to do it!