the lamb antidote

Maya was in a TERRIBLE mood today.

If Maya's mood was a picture, this would be it.

Sandi has been working an extra shift a week at the hospital for the past 5 weeks and we all miss her badly. The strain on all of us is palpable. Couple missing mommy with having an overworked, single-duty Momma and not enough sleep and you get one bitchy Maya.

Today I was so grateful to have a sister. One that came yesterday to sleep over and spent this whole, sometimes hellish sometimes wonderful, day with me.

I don't know if it's maturity or what, but I am beginning to surrender to the fact that my life is supposed to be like this- periods of great joy (yesterday, full of contentment sitting in the sun with kids playing in our yard having run so long and far and being so happy to see all of them, going to sleep last night not having to make certain my phone was audible because the person I care most if she needed me in the middle of the night was sleeping just one floor down) punctuated with moments, sometimes several moments strung together, of frustration, heartbreak and even anguish. Maya cried and hit so much today I just wanted to set her out on the steps in a permanent time out. Better yet, I wanted to give myself a time out.

Is it wrong to look at your very challenging child sometimes and feel strong appreciation and longing, and even preference, for your other, easier child? Is it wrong if which child is on which side of this equation changes from day to day, moment to moment?

At 1:30, Kathryn looked at me, sitting in the chair with two crying children on my lap and said, "I think we need a change of scenery."

Emilie had told me that the baby lambs had been born at Fisher Farm, our CSA (community supported agriculture) farm where we have been members going on 7 years. Come the first week of June, we get to pick up freshly picked, organic fruits, veggies and flowers for FIVE WHOLE MONTHS!

We were all content and happy on the drive there (our kids are always happy in the car with a snack- a nice, but not such an ecofriendly solution to bad moods). Braeden feel asleep and had a hard time waking up. So he didn't.

Oh, my were the lambies cute. They really did save the day.

Farmer Beth (I don't know is she dislikes us calling her that, but Emilie started it and now it has just stuck. Do you Beth? It is completely a term of endearment to me.) came out to chat for a while and fed the chickens...

much to Braeden and Maya's delight.

It put us all in a better mood.

Then on to the hay bails. I just LOVE these pictures and these girls.

Are your kids in a bad mood? If so, go find some baby animals right away. And some sunshine and gaping blue sky doesn't hurt either.

All I know is, I would have struggled as a mom today. I am so grateful to at least have done it with my sister by my side. Thanks for sharing my load, sis. It made it not quite so heavy. I love you so very much.