October 11

I don't really even know what to say about today other than it started out frustrating and continued to be frustrating. But it's okay now because everyone who annoyed me is in bed. Not sleeping, mind you, because Heaven knows my children are all night owls, but at least they're in their rooms and mostly quiet. (And I say this with great sincerity: thank you, Jesus, for that.)

So yeah: they were definitely wild and loud and I was definitely feeling more frazzled and tired than usual. It's my typical mental state once Adam's four or five days into a business trip, but the certainty of knowing how I'll probably feel doesn't really help me manage the onslaught of emotion.

But what does help are the rare quiet moments, and I had one of those when, after we got home after Abby's dance class and a jaunt around Safeway (because dude, we ran out of bread two days ago. Who runs out of bread?), I sat on Brady's bed and said nighttime prayers with the Little Boys. I inhaled that beautiful, silent stillness, and when I opened my eyes and looked at those beautiful, oft-mischievous boys looking back at me, I felt nothing but peace and gratitude. They may get under my skin and push my buttons like no one else, but how blessed am I to have so many little people around to make me crazy? Very.