Rant: One of those days...

Today was just one of those days. It was really frustrating and seemed like nothing would go right this afternoon.

At work, I got to deal with this hurricane exercise where we pretend a hurricane is coming and go through all the motions of preparing for it. Only problem was... we didn't get the message TELLING us to make the preparations. [Cue "Office Space" sound bite: Did you get the memo?] It wasn't until the squadron called me and asked why we hadn't reported yet that we discovered that something was going on and we were behind the power curve on getting it done. So that was a big flop-and-twitch.

Homework Battle Du Jour (HBDJ) Round 1: I came home to find ES playing with one of his friends from school who just moved in down the street. I asked him, "Have you done your homework?" "No." "Okay, let's go inside. It's time to do your homework." He walked inside sulking. LW had threatened him with no playing outside with his friends for two days if he argued about doing his homework, so at least he wasn't saying, "NO!" and refusing to do it.

Homework Battle Du Jour (HBDJ) Round 2: I walked his friend home and said hi to his parents, then came back home. Was he doing his homework? Of COURSE not. He's sitting in my rocking chair looking at our Hawaiian bird identification guide. I ask him, "What are you doing?" He says, "I'm trying to figure out what kind of bird that is in the hanging basket." I told him, "It's a red-vented bulbul. Now go do your homework." He walked sulking into the next room where he usually does his homework at the table.

Homework Battle Du Jour (HBDJ) Round 3: I walked out to the garage for something. I came back a few minutes later and walked past the homework table. Was he doing his homework? Of COURSE not. He's sitting at the table with his chin resting on the table, staring off into space. I ask him, "Why aren't you doing your homework?" He says, "Because it's in the car." At this point, I think my face probably turned the color of a lobster and steam started spewing from my ears. "Then GO GET IT!!!"

LW was off at some seminar for the evening. My plan for the evening had been to go to the NEX to do some Mother's Day shopping and get dinner for me and the boys in the food court. By the time I FINALLY got him to finish his homework, it was 5:30. We normally actually eating dinner by around 5 or 5:30, and at this point I haven't even gotten the kids packed in the car yet much less driven to where we're going, so we're way behind schedule here.

Then we had to have the fight between the boys over where to go for dinner. I proposed the NEX. YB wanted Moe's. I, of course, would have been happy with Moe's since (a) it's closer and (b) it's Mexican. ES vehemently did NOT want Moe's, and YB was in high-drama mode as if he would pass-out and DIE if he didn't have Moe's. I finally got them both to agree to Panda Express. I ask YB if he has shoes on, and he says yes, so we're on our way.

As we fly eastbound on Kam Highway, a sense of dread is sinking deeper and deeper into my heart as I observe mile after mile of cars sitting at a dead stop on Kam westbound (the way back home). I said to myself, "Self, it'll be okay. We'll sit and have dinner at Panda Express and then go to the NEX. By the time we're headed home, it will have cleared up."

When we got to Panda Express, I went to get the kids out of the car and discovered YB did not in fact have any shoes. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200. Get back in the car, and swing the car back around to the drive-thru. Then proceed to sit in the traffic for 40 minutes driving back home in that westbound traffic jam on Kam Highway while the boys fight over the toys in the back seat.

We sat down and started eating dinner, and right-on-cue, YB declared to the world, "I have to go poop!" Okay, that's nice, just go! Of course, the downstairs half-bath in our house is like 15 feet from where I'm sitting, trying to eat my dinner, and YB started with his typical play-by-play description of each kerplunk in the toilet. Thank you SO much for helping me to enjoy my dinner.

As I sit and write about it now, I'm sort of chuckling about it. I was pretty frustrated and annoyed in-situ. It was one of those days that I had to make a conscious effort to be thankful of my blessings and not let the series of frustrations and things not going my way get me down. Things COULD definitely be much, much worse.