The Mommy-Time-Out

My Google Search of “mom pulling out hair”. I REALLY like the bottom where it says, “Stressed” is “desserts” spelled backward. AMEN to that!

Have you ever felt like you have a complete and utter lack of patience for pretty much anyone and everyone in your life, including yourself?

I DO I DO I DO!!!

And dad gum it. I need to SNAP out of it! I get so frustrated lately at stupid little things, and then I get frustrated at myself for getting frustrated.

Yesterday was a prime example.

It was a crazy busy day.

Kids off to school
Drive to Nashville for Annabelle’s Physical therapy & Occupational therapy.
Stop by work to pick up a few things so I can work from home.Lunch with Hubby.
Home.
Back to Nashville for a meeting.
Back home to make dinner/do homework/get kids to bed.

So, in the midst of my crazy busy day, Annabelle’s gtube extension breaks between PT/OT. No spare. Milk EVERYWHERE, including all over Annabelle and the chair.

Then, Annabelle fell asleep on the way to my work, so I switched my schedule and had lunch with hubby first (we just went through drivethrough and sat in the car and chatted while she slept.)

Then… At work, Annabelle decided it would be fun to scream and cry the whole time. In a corporate office building. Mommy was not pleased.

Finally home, I fed Annabelle again since we were now behind due to gtube breakage. Only moments later, she pulled the WHOLE BUTTON out of her belly, sending a large amount of her food all over her clothes/me/carpet.

I cleaned her up, and 30 minutes later, fed her again, only for her to take the whole formula bottle and dump it all over her lap/floor/kitchen table.

Fast forward to this evening, when I got home from my meeting, I had a splitting headache. My house was trashed. My kids weren’t doing their homework, no chores had been done. Annabelle then decided to pitch a fit most of the evening until I put her down early for bed because I didn’t know what else to do. (She quieted down and went right to sleep, so evidently her nap in the car had not been enough.)

At one point this evening, I took my phone into my bathroom and locked the door and called my mother while Annabelle sat on the otherside of the door screaming.

Yup. Mommy needed a timeout. I don’t know why parents use timeouts as punishment. I’ll take one ANY day of the week!

I know we all have days like this. (at least, I hope I’m not the only one.)

I would be super excited to report that I have some grand cure for the patience-deprived mother. Other than the brief reprieve that chocolate gives me ocassionally, I don’t really have one.

I do, however, advocate the timeout. It’s not always feasable, but sometimes just getting away, even for a minute and taking a few deep breathes and giving God a “Please, for the love of YOU, help me Jesus” is enough umph to inch that patience barameter up a notch.

Anyone else have any tips for regaining Mommy-patience? (and no, alcohol and smoking aren’t advisable options, at least not for me, HA!)