So, this afternoon I wrote a somewhat lengthy post about how irritated I am with any and every thing right now.  I pointed out how ironic it is that lately people keep telling me they admire how calm I am with the kids, and how they wish they could be like that, because I’ve been having a really tough time keeping my temper.  Mostly I haven’t been keeping it.  Just as I was about to publish the entry, Willow turned off the computer.  Of course.  She was telling me to quit my griping.

For Christmas we got, from my parents, gift certificates to the little cafe and the ice cream store that are a block from our house.  We went out for ice cream earlier this month, and tonight we went, with all the kids, for dinner.  I was considerate enough to go by 5:30 because I waited tables for a very long time and I know.  It wasn’t really too bad, except that Willow would not sit and eat so one of the grown ups had to be up chasing her at all times as she did her little bouncy walk/trot from our table to the chair by the window.  Sophie put Parmesan cheese in the little shaker thing on her burger and fries, and ate salt out of her hand.  Lexy kept standing up.  Nate got pissy over the no caffeine rule because the root beer was caffeinated, but he did eat both cups of clam chowder he ordered, plus three pot stickers and half his cheese pizza, which was pretty big.  I know!  You are riveted by the details.  Sorry.  I had to have a beer, which was so flat I could hardly drink it, but I was treating it more like medicine than anything.  Is that a bad sign?  Overall, it wasn’t too hellacious of an evening, but we won’t be doing it again soon.  I left a fat tip to compensate for the mess and the broken crayons.

John drove home with the girls, who were starting to infringe on the other diners’ rights, while I sat with the boys and let Nate finish his soup.  We walked home, stopping by the grocery for milk and bread.  I had to hiss at the boys to quit asking me to buy stuff.  Sophie had just stopped screaming when we got back.  I brought the left overs home and you just know what the girls did, don’t you?  Yes.  They sat at the table, quietly, eating their dinners. 

Can we take a vote and skip February?  If it’s your birthday month (it is for both my parents and Willow) you can have an extra gift in March.  March will be fine, but February is scaring the crap out of me.  I feel like I do in those dreams I have where I’m driving my car and the road gets vertical and I have to keep going.  It gives me that really icky feeling in my stomach like I’m going to start falling backwards with no control.  I hate those dreams. 

Got to go finish the book I’m reading.  Night.      

Oh, and I’m trying really hard not to hate one of my best friends who left for the Caribbean today for two whole weeks.  It’s hard, though.