Why do some days seem so much harder than others? There are some days when I just want to pack it all in. Forget all about staying at home with the girl and jump right back into full time work. Just give up. Today was one of those days, and for no particular reason, other than I am living with an energy vampire – a toddler.
Mind you, our lives have been in a bit of turmoil for the past 2 weeks. The move went well and the girl took to the new house like she has lived here all her life. Her Mother and I, on the other hand, have been stress central and the girl has to pick up on that. Can there be any event in life with such diametric emotions attached to it than moving into a new home? One minute pure ecstasy as you marvel over your good fortune to find the home of your dreams. The next despair as you suffer from the worst case of buyer’s remorse you can imagine. I’m not sure what the real estate market in your area is like, but where we live it is ruthless, cutthroat and overpriced, leading to rushed decisions on the most important purchase of your life. You are filled with self doubt and anxiety, wondering if you have been as thorough as possible, placing the fate of your family in the hands of realtors, building inspectors, bankers and other people looking to make massive amounts of cash off you. But I digress…
Like I said, some days just seem harder than others. The extra struggle trying to get her dressed as she flops around like an electrified octopus, screaming and crying at the top of her lungs. The extra effort of trying to strap a 2×4 into a car seat so you won’t be late for her play group. Trying to play United Nations peacemaker with the other kids, negotiating the landmine of 2 pushcars for 30 kids. The extra concentration required while you try to carry on a phone conversation with a roofer with a human fog horn strapped to your leg bellowing DADDYDADDYDADDYDADDY! And the constant demands for upeee, uppeeee, upppeeeee.
Some days it is all I can do from screaming TAKE ME AWAY FROM HERE! Get me back to the sanity of backstabbing co-workers and bastard bosses. Of impossible deadlines and even more impossible budgets. Take me back to sanity of the real world.
And then the moment happens. Just when she is drifting off to sleep in her mothers arms you hear a tiny voice say, “I love you, Da.” And you realize that tomorrow is indeed another day and that this, too, shall pass.