Lord, give me strength...

It's just been one of those days. Allow me to delve deeper onto exactly which one of those days it was.

Early early morning. Nathan kisses me goodbye as he leaves for his trip.

Watercolored today. Preston spilled his cup of paint water all over. Sometime later, he spilled Tanner's cup of paint water all over.

Lunchtime. Tanner spills his cup of bright reddish Crystal Light fruit punch all over the table.

Playdate at my house. My darling baby dumped out half the contents of my box of Wheat Chex onto the counter.

Waving goodbye to playdate. I look down just in time to watch Tanner write in beautiful blue ball point pen all over our white wooden porch column which was just freshly painted last summer.

Naptime for Preston. I had a to-do list that was so long I am starting to be in denial of its existence. I go to pop in a dvd for Tanner to watch, since Preston was napping and because I had made Tanner put away ALL of the toys and sort laundry, partially in punishment for drawing on the column. The dvd player won't open, and I discover that it is jammed. Instead, Tanner watches a VHS movie while I completely take apart the dvd player and attempt to fix it. Surprisingly, my attempt was fruitful, as were my efforts in hooking it back up. Unfortunately, nothing pertaining to the dvd player was on that horridly long to-do list.

Dinnertime. I get a call from my mother in law asking if I will please take my 4 year old niece and 2 year old nephew for the night and most of tomorrow, as their mother has just given birth to twins, and my in-laws must work at the temple starting at 5am Wednesday morning. Of course I would love 2 extra children, since I am doing such a fab job with my own two.

Post-dinner time. I am on the computer briefly and Tanner walks in while broadcasting, "Mom, look at my hair!" It is stark white, which can mean only one thing: Baby powder. My intuitions are correct, and for whatever reason, water is everywhere on the 2nd shelf of the changing table, as is powder. Mixed together? A wonderful paste. I hurriedly clean up all the mess, get Tanner showered and cleaned, and everyone in jammies.

Bedtime. My niece and nephew arrive. Tanner goes right to sleep. Preston and niece and nephew do not. At some point though, they do. I need to get things crossed off my to do list. I need to. But I have absolutely no energy. I wonder why.