I'm finally getting a turn

I feel like I've been away for ages...

I tried to write earlier, and it was kid-a-go-go in my house.  I gave it up when I got hit in the back of my head with a large bouncy ball.  And it kinda hurts your concentration at the keyboard when you hear "OW!"  followed by SM-ACK! and "Mom, it was an accident!" the second you sit down.

You guessed it-- the kids are indoors most of the day, what with the searing heat.  It's not like we don't expect it to be hot here in AZ, it's just that no one wants to be outside between 11 am and 3 pm (6pm, if you want me to be honest).  Seriously, if you need pot holders to grasp your steering wheel upon your return to the car after you run into the store for something, would you want to send your kids outside to play? 

"I'm meeelllltiiiingggg,"  I thought to myself as I got back into the van the other day after work.  Sunshades help, but they reduce the heat from chicken-nugget-cooking to keeping-bread-warm temperatures, and that's it.  I think this is the only state where finding a shady parking space could be an Olympic sport.  Is is worth it to park in the sun, close to the entrance, or farther away, in the shade, risking blistering your feet should you make a misstep and step out of your flip-flop?  I guarantee while you ponder this, some little old lady will flip you the bird as she goes for the shady spot. 

So it's indoors for the kids...and their friends...of course, there are video games involved...and computer games.  Looking for cheat codes online.  Playing games online.  "Mom, can I use the computer?"  Sigh.  "Go ahead."

I figure, I can go on later, when they are all sleeping, just like I always do.   Except that I keep falling asleep too, so I have to split the difference, and choose:  cranky, bitchy Mom from lack of sleep; or cranky, bitchy Mom because I can't write in my journal?   I have to choose to sleep, or else my patience reserve gets tapped before noon, and that is just not pretty.   So ugly that I would send them outside.  At noon.

The other hitch in my giddyup comes in the form of the pintsized princess.  For whatever reason, she's waking up in the middle of the night, and looking for me.  Now, the other night, it was highly inconvenient, and after the third (unsuccessful) try at getting her to bed, I pitched a hissy fit in the bathroom at Mr W (who was thank goodness, annoyingly taking it in stride, considering) about how "I haven't snuck around this much to fool around since I was 16 years old," rant, rant, grumble, grumble, "she's not going to sleep, so don't wait up for me.." hiss, hiss.  It was really quite amusing, in retrospect, especially since I think I may have even stomped my foot in indignation.  Ouch!  That's why my foot hurts...  Oh, I got over it.  I was snoring soon enough, so I couldn't have been that disappointed.  (but I was--who wouldn't be?)

I find it hard to be hard-hearted about her looking for me, especially since she snuggles right in, "I want you," and breathes a little sleepy sigh as she nods off again.

What can I say?  I'm a pushover. 

(and I'll tell you all about that, next entry...and btw, Max is fine, he's doing much better.  Back up to his jiggly self.)