Any one who is a parent knows that there are days when we just are going to be off our games.  Days when it feels like all we have is just enough energy to get through three solid meals, the bare necessity errands and a story at bedtime.  Days when the kids are basically good, but the tolerance low and they find themselves wondering why they were in trouble.  Most of today was one of those days for me, but somehow, it was salvaged in the end.

Andrea is travelling for work again and the daylight savings time change gave the entire day a weird Twilight Zone feel to it. Throw in some stuff I had to do for the kids tee ball team and near summer-like weather and I could almost hear Rod Serling’s voice narrating.  The kids are also somewhat caught in a weird place as well.  They still are stuck in Winter find-stuff-to-do-indoors mode even thought the weather is perfect.  I felt like my parents as I kept ordering them to go/stay outside while repeating, “I don’t know why you would want to stay in the house when it is beautiful outside.”

After a trip to Target and a ride to the baseball fields to pick up equipment, I did make a few half-hearted attempts to play with them outside, but when they wanted to kick a soccer ball at the baseball pitch-back and then wouldn’t leave me alone when I was trying to chop up a stump with an ax, I gave up and we all headed inside.   The next couple of hours were spent with me grumping on the couch and them playing video games and watching TV.

However, like so many things in life, the day just miraculously turned around.  A little before dinner, I decided to head out side and throw a baseball against the pitch-back and then throw pop-ups to myself.  As I was doing this, Matthew came outside and asked to play baseball.  We spent a good amount of time with me lobbing wiffle balls to him, giving him instructions and watching him solidly hit every other pitch (I am so proud).  We then went inside where we laughed over dinner.  Afterwards, we walked down to the small river by us, skipped some stones and tried to see who could make the biggest splash with rocks.  About 45 minutes after bedtime, Ben came back down complaining about not being able to sleep (because of the time change) and so, we talked about his video game as he drank some warm milk at the kitchen table.

It really was amazing how quickly the day turned.  What started out as a day I couldn’t wait to get through and forget, turned into a day that I think I will remember forever.  It’s amazing how easily that can happen and how magical it is.