OVERLOAD

OMG.  We are all SO overbooked and SO tired here in the Rowe household.  Every single one of us has thrown a temper tantrum at some point over the past few days.  Ethan's and mine were both traffic/road delay-related, while the girls' were WAY more irrational.

Here's a glimpse of how much stuff we've had - and have - going on.

This past weekend, Madeleine and Julia both had birthday parties to go to, Madeleine had gymnastics class AND her Year-End Show, Julia had a sleepover at her friend's house, at which she stayed up until 11:30pm, we all had church (choir duties for Ethan and I, Sunday School for the kids), the girls had swim team practice for the Y team, and Ethan and I had a rehearsal and then performance with our vocal quartet.

If it was just a busy weekend, it would be one thing.  However, we are all somehow double-booked.  The girls started practice for the town swim team last night, not to be confused with the Y swim team, WHOSE SEASON IS STILL GOING.  They will be swimming for both teams until the end of June, at which point the Y goes on recess.  Ethan and I have been rehearsing and performing with our quartet, as well as with a collection of mostly professional singers for a premiere performance of an opera, set for this coming weekend.  (Which means week night rehearsals, until 10pm, in a not-neighboring town.)  I am wrapping up both my school year at preschool this week, as well as my piano teaching.  The girls seem to have only befriended kids whose birthdays (or parties, at least) fall in June.  And because of the time of year, there is Year-End EVERYTHING.  Madeleine's Year-End Gymnastics Show.  My year-end preschool class party, followed by ANOTHER year-end all-school party that I have to miss in order to go to my own kids' year-end elementary school picnic.  My piano students are doing their end-of-year performances  for their families (my compromise this year, given that I was just too darn overloaded to host a formal recital.)  Both kids have a year-end class party to which parents are invited, and today Julia had her year-end chorus concert in the middle of the school day.  (Luckily, I was able to attend, as it took place shortly after my work day ends.)

OH MY GOODNESS.  No one is getting nearly enough sleep, and tempers are flaring around here.

Here are some examples of the ridiculous things the kids have melted down about lately:

-Julia couldn't get dressed for school because the forecast was for cold rain and she didn't WANT to wear pants or capris.

-Madeleine couldn't watch a show because Julia was watching "My Little Pony" and Madeleine could ONLY watch "Moana" in order to screen-write her own "Moana"-esque home movie.

-Madeleine was singing a few words to "White Coral Bells" incorrectly and Julia COULD.  NOT.  HANDLE.  IT:

MADELEINE: (singing) Lily of the valley deck my garden wall...
JULIA: (snapping) Madeleine!  It's "GARDEN WALK!"  Madeleine!  Can you just SING THE RIGHT WORDS?!?


In fact, the incapacity to cope with life in general made this past Sunday's church an adventure in mood swings for us.  Upon arriving at church, Julia and Madeleine were at odds about whether to sit alone in the front pew (as there were no Sunday School teachers there yet) or to come up to the choir with me.  Madeleine loves coming up to the choir, because that means she can sit down and draw pictures instead of stand up and pay attention.  Julia likes going to the pews because she's Julia.  Madeleine had brought two pieces of blank paper in anticipation of drawing, and Julia announced, as we entered the church, that she wanted to go to the pews but didn't want to sit alone.

Madeleine's response was to crumple up both papers.

MADELEINE: Mommy?  Where should I THROW these?
ME: Madeleine!  Why did you crumple them?  That's wasting paper!
MADELEINE: (in biting accusation) Because JULIA said she wants to sit in the pews!
ME: Well, you can come up to the choir with me, don't worry about it.

So we went up to the choir.  Madeleine plopped down on the ground in pouting protest.  I un-crumpled the papers, smoothed them out as best I could, and put them in front of Madeleine, along with a pen from my purse.

Madeleine's response was to scribble blackly across the paper.

Refusing to lose my cool, I let Madeleine pout for about 15 minutes.  Then I took the piece of paper on which was printed the schedule of music for that day's service, flipped it over to the blank side, and put it in front of Madeleine.

She drew this:

I guess she just needed a little art therapy, because shortly afterwards, her mood had swung back to happy.

Sigh.  It's going to be a long and exhausting week.
I will leave you with this picture of Julia being grumpy for no logical reason at her orthodontist appointment this afternoon:

Is it summer yet!?!?