You have to have those days at some point

There's no question that I love being home with my kids, but quite honestly today they drove me to a maddening level of insanity. Most days they are each other's best companions, not today.

I'm wearing Noah in the Bjorn because he's a bit fussy and I can't leave him in the Boppy or on a blanket like I did with the twins, because he'll be attacked by my two foot midgets. They sit on him, give him all sorts of toys and stick their fingers in his eyes and up his nose. They're quite adorable when they love on him, but today it was just impossibly difficult to keep them from torturing their poor brother.

So back to my complaining...

I'm wearing Noah around the house as we play and do household chores. Although everything is harder when you're tired, early in the day I've managed to get the kitchen cleaned and dishwasher loaded and running-which is a huge accomplishment for it being only 9:30 in the morning. All kids are fed, dressed, washed down, we've worked on two of our puzzles and we're off to a good start.

At 10 the chaos began. I swear that if I didn't have some quazi-ninja sixth sense I would've broken my neck weeks ago on the toys, clothes and other random objects they scatter on the floor. Because I'm wearing Noah, it becomes even more difficult to navigate through our tiny house because I can't see my feet or see the twins when they're clinging to my ankles.

I'm tempted to leave them in their dirty clothes for the remainder of the week since I couldn't get any of their laundry done. And why is that you ask? Because they dumped the hamper and scattered the clothes throughout the downstairs AND upstairs rooms. There was a huge pile in the laundry room on top of the cat litter stuff. It was the only load I managed to do. It still sits in the dryer.

So then I thought, well we'll just hang out in our bedroom. That'll be different and fun. Maybe we'll jump on our bed or something.

NO.

It wasn't.

They tipped over the bassinet, pulled Noah's clothes from his drawers, started swinging the plunger in the bathroom, and ransacked my bedside nightstand.

I try hard to be in good humor about their curiosity and general "impishness", but when they start hysterically screaming and throwing their bodies on the ground because you don't want them to squeeze out your lotion all over the bed, you begin to realize that this whole situation is a bit ridiculous.

I wish they could understand so many things.

Why does Josiah repeatedly slam his bedroom door-which he has broken by the way.

Why does Lilly want every toy Josiah has and screams hysterically when he takes it back from her?

Does this make any sense? I feel like there are so many important conversations to have with your kids. Explaining that whacking someone on the head with a mixing spoon is a bad idea shouldn't have to be one of them!

I hate days like these. It takes everything out of me. There were several times I had to walk away from all three of them and just breathe.

Managed to capture these moments over the last couple days despite the frustrations...

Happy big sister

Look at those cheeks!

Staring at the light

They love seeing pictures of themselves

Lilly "put on" the Bjorn and then tried to pick Noah up to put him in. Glad I caught her in time...

Sending silly pictures to daddy at work

Snuggling with my little man while the big kids took a nap

Also, I'd love to spend time here in this itty-bitt cabin in Italy. I'd spend days reading, cooking, sleeping and in general recover from the last two years :)

(San Cassiano, Bolzano-Bozen, Italy. Photo by Tim Maides.)