Calgon, take me away/I miss them already!

It is has been an inordinately busy week around here, and next week is going to be even worse.  In between, I'm going out of town for the weekend (for fun, so I'm really not complaining).  I realized earlier today that I will not tuck my kids into bed for seven of the next eight nights.  That's a lot of sweet, sleepy kisses to miss out on.  Of course that's also a lot of bedtime drama that I get to skip.  

Tonight I was feeding the kids an early dinner before I went out and as often happens to me in the 5:00 hour, the weight of the busy day was starting to wear on me.  I was annoyed that my clean floor was suddenly covered in olive oil-y pasta and smushed berries.  I was tired of arguing with Ella about eating two measly slices of apple so she could have a piece of Easter candy.  I was over Dash insisting on being held and screaming as soon as I put him down to do something like give his sister a cup of milk. Then Josh walked in the door and I realized I had to hightail it out of there to get to my engagement, then get back home to pack, and head off to the airport very early tomorrow morning.  And in that instant, I forgot all about being annoyed that I was covered in Cheerio spit-up and felt instantly heartbroken that I wouldn't see my babies again until Monday morning.  I suddenly didn't want to leave the kitchen to change my shirt.  I didn't mind picking up Dash for the 400th time.  I wanted to hear Ella sing "Clickety Clack" for the twelfth time.  I missed them already.

Still in the day

Ella usually goes to bed sometime between 7 and 8 pm depending on what we're doing and whether she took a nap that day.  Tonight, she was in bed a little before 8 but when I walked by her room about 8:45, she called out to me, clearly still awake.  I decided to go lay down with her just to soak in her sweetness for a few extra minutes.   She said to me "Mama, sometimes these nights, I have trouble falling asleep.  I'm in here just thinking about the day still.  Yeah, I'm still in the day."  I loved her phrase of being "still in the day".  I totally get that. I am often "still in the day" when I'm trying to go to sleep, too.  Such a wise little gal, my Ella.