Just One of Those Days...

Today was a day full of promise that ended in poo...

The morning started beautifully. The dishwasher that was falling out of its under-cabinet mount was secured back into place by a friendly maintenance man. The kids behaved wonderfully at the library. We all got to see Daddy on Skype in the afternoon and the connection was the best it's been so far--albeit, Jack was a bit crabby during the call because it was nap time, but I digress. And whilst Bubba napped, Sammi and I baked brownies together ("no-good-reason brownies" aka the best kind of brownies.) Just another day in paradise...

Now insert the afternoon from Hades.

The kids and I needed to make an afternoon run to the PX to pick up some meds for Jack. Upon entering the store and flashing my I.D., the power goes out. We are all asked to leave. I think to myself, "Should I wait it out, or should I drag the kids elsewhere?" Deciding not to risk waiting for nothing, I went ahead with the latter. This time to Target, where the power did not go out, but where my precious 4year old daughter decided she was going to exit the store with a toy we did not pay for.
I was so distracted by this offense that I did not notice the cashier making another one. I was charged twice for the most expensive item on my list. I noticed it just as I was entering the gates to post-- mere minutes from home-- and had to circle back around and drive my unhappy butt and thieving child back to Target to get the refund.
By the time we FINALLY made it home, I was able to throw together dinner, (an hour later than usual) bathe the kids, and sob quietly as I put them to bed, after which I would spend an hour or so of my "me time" looking for appliance repair people for my broken washing machine and talking to an insurance representative to replace my son's lost insurance card. Blah.

But now that it is over, what's done is done, and I can step back and look at it from a better (loopier, more sleep-deprived) place, I realize how blessed I am, even in my crappiest of days.

No, I didn't want to drive all over the place to get Jack's medicine, but I am glad that I had the means to do it, that my kids are such good travellers, and that Jack is indeed getting better!

I did not want to deal with a child taking a toy from the store today, but I am fortunate to have a bright girl with a capacity to understand right from wrong and a God-given desire to do right MOST of the time.

I did not want to pay extra money for nothing and make an entire extra trip to get my money back, but I needed cash for the kids to ride a train on Thursday, and now I don't have to stop by an ATM to get it. (It's the little things, People, the little things...)

I did not want to set our night-time schedule off by an hour, but my children were uncharacteristically flexible for me tonight, and we survived the night without any major meltdowns.

I don't want my major appliances to break, but I have wonderful friends who are offering to help me with my laundry woes until I can get it fixed (which is looking to cost less than I originally thought...Praise God!)

I don't want to make late-night calls to the insurance company, but for once, a 24 hour call line has come in great handy to me. There is a quick solution to my problem and all will be well in "our dental world" soon enough.

I have said this before, but sometimes little problems can stack up so high that they overshadow the good things that are happening right alongside them. So no, today was not the best day ever. But it was a day that the Lord hath made--so I will rejoice and be glad in it.

Hopefully tomorrow I will be able to rejoice a little more joyfully ;)