TGIF, again

We had a rather nasty start to our day today. I got up and ready, Chad got up and ready, Liam got up when he heard us up and got himself dressed. We went downstairs for breakfast and wound up having to wake Mallory to join us - I think she really is exhausted by this point in the week (though do you think she will let us put her to bed a bit earlier to help on that front? - noooooooooo!) Liam finished eating and wandered into the playroom (which is now really just the back part of the living room). He found a new puzzle we just got out for him last night - the hardest one he has, with the most pieces. And he wanted to do it. And while he is actually really good at puzzles, there is just no way we had time to let him do it today. I have been getting into the office later and later this week, and we have traffic coming through the house today, so we still had some cleaning-up-on-our-way-out-the-door to do. There just wasn't time.

After he refused to go brush his teeth when I asked him to, I picked Liam up and carried him up the stairs, and he howled the whole way. He howled the whole time he was brushing his teeth and he howled as he went back downstairs and put his coat and shoes on and waited for us by the door. He did stop howling once he got outside; he rather enjoys hanging out in the yard while the rest of us are busy with coats and shoes in the back hall. But for a good ten minutes leading up to that, he drove Chad and I both crazy. And I felt bad for him. As much as he enjoys going to Cindy's, I am sure that he would also love a morning free to putter around the house, too, especially when it gets late in the week and the novelty of Cindy's house is maybe starting to wear off.

So when we go home tonight, I will be sure to sit down with him and do his puzzle before we eat dinner, and we'll plan some fun things to do this weekend, too. It's all too easy to get caught up in the hustle of doing the things with the kids that have to be done, like meals and baths and schlepping back and forth to daycare. I don't want to forget all the fun there is to be had, too.