An Awful Night, Last Night Was

H is (right now?) giving his final presentation for his class - Verification and Validation - zzzzz (oh, wake me up, was I sleeping?) and last night he was practicing with his project group.  Which left me with the kids.  I love the girls.  I do.  I love them, love them, love them.

But after a full cup of orange juice was spilled on the kitchen floor, and Rose #3 peed on the bathroom floor because she was too busy hiking up her dress and arranging the footstool to actually Sit. On. The. Potty. And. Use. It., I kind of lost it.  I had to clean the kitchen and the bathroom, and I know that in the grand scheme of things (i.e., this vs. homelesness, or starvation, or even layoffs) it is not big deal.   But, I was really mad.  So, I yelled at the Roses, and I made them clean the living room and dining room in a very authoritarian manner, and Rose #2 looked at me with her crumply face and said, in a small voice, "I thought tonight was going to be a GOOD night."

I felt as small as this (I am holding up my thumb and forefinger and there is about a centimeter span between them).

So, I promised myself tonight would be better.  How is it better, you ask?  How is it that I am blogging at 6:37 p.m.?  The Roses begged to go up to the toyroom and watch television, and I, weak creature that I am, let them.

Who knew parenting would be this hard?