I love my kid, I love my kid, I love my kid, I love my kid...

So, I got basically zero sleep. Anabelle slept just fine. JJ, for God knows why, was all over the bed and couldn't lay still to save his life. Wiggle, turn, kick, toss, cuddle, squirm, "Bud, lay still," or "Back to your own bed, JJ", all freaking night. And of course he's perky and rested, and I feel like warmed-over roadkill.

Wanna know the real kicker? The only computer we have that can cope with Netflix has once again decided that it's not going to play nice. So I can't even stick him in front of an electronic babysitter for the morning.

What I *want* to do is make him sit in an empty Pack & Play with a tray of dry cold cereal, a water bottle, absolutely nothing to do, and spank him every time he wiggles or complains.

Because that's what my parents would do if I had kept them up all night, and that's fair, right? My turn, right?

Because I am not my parents, I will not be putting my 3 year old on the equivalent of lock-down. I will not be slamming doors and muttering imprecations at inanimate objects all day long.

He has a breakfast dray consisting of fruit, a peanut butter sandwich, and sliced lunch meat, which he loves.

He has a pack of crayons and a stack of fresh paper to draw on.

He has a room full of toys and books with which to entertain himself.

And I have explained to him in the clearest possible terms that there is to be no whining, complaining, or fit-throwing today, and that pretty much everything he says to me had best start with the words "Yes, Mommy."

So far, he's doing surprisingly well with that bit.

I'm doing surprisingly well with reminding him when he forgets.

The cats keep trying to trip me, I can hear the hus-beast snoring all the way in the livingroom, the baby is still sound asleep, and oh yeah... the Road Works department decided that our setback was a good spot to put a construction warning sign. Once again I seem to be the only person who knows how to load a dishwasher or put the clean stuff away, and it's a damn good thing there's a crock full of dinner ready to go, because the kitchen's closed today.

*sigh*

I love my kid, I love my kid, I love my kid, I love my kid, I love my kid,
I love my kid, I love my kid, I love my kid, I love my kid, I love my kid,
I love my kid, I love my kid, I love my kid, I love my kid, I love my kid,
I love my kid, I love my kid, I love my kid, I love my kid, I love my kid,
I love my kid, I love my kid, I love my kid, I love my kid, I love my kid,
I love my kid, I love my kid, I love my kid, I love my kid, I love my kid,
I love my kid, I love my kid, I love my kid, I love my kid, I love my kid.

It's not his fault he had trouble sleeping. He can't help it that he was restless. I have restless nights where I toss & turn all night long... or just get up and read a book.

*deeeeeeeeeeeeeep breaths*

So... allergies are evil...

If we're FB buds, then you've seen my moaning and groaning the last couple of days.

Moaning and groaning is no longer sufficient.

Whiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine!!!!!

(Btw, Word Check, I find it hilarious that only the last 42 characters of the above are considered to be misspelled.  A Hitchhiker's reference?  From Blogger's Word Check algorithm?  Seriously?????)

I am, not to put too fine a point on it, bloody miserable.  My eyes itch.  My sinuses are completely socked in, and as a consequence my ears ache from the pressure and my hearing is iffy at best.  My nose has not stopped running for two days, and I'm sneezing constantly.  The drainage is giving me a lovely alto register, but otherwise is making me most uncomfortable.

Otherwise I feel just fine, no body soreness or chills or fever, and even though I feel like I can't breathe, my actual respiration is largely unaffected, so I am quite content to lay this at the door of SUMMER ALLERGIES. *grumblekvetchmutter*

I'm drinking tea.  Hot tea.  In August.  Because it's the only way to stop my throat from making me want to reach in there and give it a good scratch.   Whiiiiiiiiine.   (Oh sure, now the whole word is wrong.)

And I'm out of the lemon zinger that does the best job.  Whiiiiiiiiiiiine.

And the baby wanted two naps today (at 9 am and 3pm), which means he's not going to be ready for bed for at least another four hours.  Whiiiiiiiiiiine.

And John's at work until 10, probably home around midnight.  Far too late to do me any good today.  Whiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine.


On the plus side (This shall not ruin my day, I am determined.) 

JJ has been in a relatively good mood for the majority of the day and has not protested being left with Grandma for brief periods while Mommy drinks some more tea.  Maybe I can convince him to play quietly while I take a bath and try to steam my face open.  (Wishful thinking, I know, but hey, a girl can dream, right?  Right.)

I made a GORGEOUS loaf of bread today, and I didn't even have to knead it at all.  It's light and fluffy and rich and chewy and all the yummy things that fresh homemade bread should be.  I splurged on a little real butter, because putting margarine on bread like this would be blasphemy.  BLASPHEMY, I TELL YOU!!  The only down side is that I need a taller narrower baking dish, because the dutch oven (only thing I have that will tolerate a 450º oven) has such a large diameter that the loaf came out about two inches deep and basically level on the top.  Kinda looked like a garden stepping stone.  The search begins. LOL

I've stumbled across a new-to-me archive of Highlander fanfiction, and the works I have found there are beyond excellent.  The ensuing reading has prompted my DuncanMuse to nudge (read: prod at swordpoint) my other characters into productivity once more, and writing doth occur during naps and evening silences.

We have renters in our old house!!  Yes, you read that correctly!  Renters that actually pay their rent, in full and on time, without needing to be nagged and begged and hectored!!  As a consequence we're starting to get caught up on our bills.  It's still going to be tight, but at least we're making progress now. Oh, and not only are said wondrous people going all out to clean and repair the place, but they want to buy it when the year's lease is up!  Meaning I will be able to sell it for what it's actually worth, vs taking a loss because the previous tenants trashed the house, get my investment out of it, and put that into our "Seriously, this is the last move EVER" fund.  (NO, we don't know where we're going yet, but we're most likely not staying here long term.)

It's cool outside for the first time in WEEKS.  I kid you not, weather.com said 65º.  I'm trying to decide between that bath and an evening walk in the drizzle.

Yes, JJ took two naps... but they were GOOD naps.  90 minutes and 2 hours respectively.  So even though he was a little cranky when I got him up (because 9 pm is late enough, thank you, I don't need him awake all night), he is now rested and happily playing in his p'np next to me while I type.  (Alert: More wishful thinking ahead.) Maybe, just maybe, once 9pm rolls around he'll go to sleep and actually SLEEP instead of waking me up half a dozen times during the night.

So really... all in all... not such a bad day.  Right?

Whiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine!!!!! 

(And again... only the last 42 characters.  *facepalm*)

I swear...

I was going to post today, because JJ has done some super cute stuff recently, but today has seen the return of the screeching banshee child, so I'm somewhat... occupied.