Some days my kids drive me so nuts, I think it's a wonder that people keep having them and the human race endures...

...and then they get so stinkin' cute again that it's really no wonder at all.

I don't often have days like that, when I feel like the kids are out to get me, but yesterday was just such a day. To be fair, they weren't being terrible kids... I think we are all just a bit wrangy right now. 24/7 for 4 days straight had caught up to us. Plus, it's that time of year, when everyone starts to go a bit stir crazy; I am SO SICK of winter right now...

On Thursday, I pulled Mallory off the stairs no fewer than two dozen times. (Note to self: must invest in another childproofing gate!!) I settled disputes between her and Liam all-the-livelong-day. Most of these involved Liam starting a movie in the DVD player and Mallory turning it off partway through, requiring me to go back and sync it up to the same spot for him again. We duked it out over dinner; for about 2 weeks now, Mallory has refused to eat nearly all fruits and vegetables, even the ones she used to love. All she's eating these days is meat and dairy and bread and I am completely flummoxed by it. I am also sick of her flinging food around the kitchen the way she has taken to doing. I asked Liam to pee on the toilet before his bath and he insisted he did not have to go, and then he peed all over Mallory and himself once in the tub. And then he got all melodramatic and difficult at bedtime, when I was promising him a fun trip today and wanting him to get to bed so we could be sure to be on time for it.

But then today, the kidlets turned on the charm and the woes of yesterday were instantly forgotten. We hit the road bright and early (the first time I have set an alarm clock in, um, 53 weeks) and went to Adventures on Wonderland. The concept: indoor playground. Jenn met up with us for the morning and after the kids exhausted themselves on the play equipment, we went for a yummy lunch at East Side Mario's before leaving. The kiddos slept most of the way, graciously allowed me to poke into an antiques shop before coming home, and then we went out for a nice walk and enjoyed the warmest day of the year thus far before dinner. Liam wore his rain boots and carried his stuffed bunny with him the entire way as he splashed his way through every puddle on our route. Motorists passing by got a chuckle out of him. It was all just great-great-great.

Then at dinner, something else happened that put a damper on things... but, well, that's parenthood, right? Ups and downs, ups and downs. I'll save that one for blog fodder for another time.