This Was a Rough Morning

We co-slept last night. She fell asleep in my bed like usual but when it came time to move her she just looked too adorable and peaceful so I didn't. She stayed all night.

Just as I was drifting off to sleep when I was jarred awake by my home security system alarm going off. Nothing freaks me out more. I had just put clothes in the dryer and sometimes the dryer sets it off but I had no way of knowing if this was the cause so I turned on my cell phone and waited for ADT to call me (I have since programmed them into my phone). They called and said it was in the room where the dryer was so I told them to stay on the phone while I went down the steps to make sure everything was OK. I don't know where that bravery came from but I guess with a child to protect I am less of a wuss. Turns out it was the dryer so I said a quick thanks to God, snuggled up close to my daughter and went to sleep.

Around 5 am I heard, "Mommy?" and Almi crawled over the pile of covers I had separating us and started poking me in my side.

"Go back to sleep, Almi," I grumbled. Ugh. It was dark and cold and I could hear the wind whipping around outside and after my late night I craved a few more hours of peace and quiet, restful sleep.

Around 5:30 I got up to use the bathroom and when I returned I heard, "Ivapeepee" (I gotta peepee). "No, Almi," I whined, "peepee in your diaper."

"Noooo!!! Ivapeepee!!!!!" she screamed.

Dang it. Had to get up to help her.

Slept very little between 5:30 and 6:30 when I then heard a voice say, "Ivacrackee."

So, we got up, got dressed and had breakfast.

When we went outside, it had snowed and I wanted to record the moment on film (well, digital) so I opened the passenger side of the car, deposited our things and reached over and turned on the car. Then I pulled out my camera to record my little African babe's first time seeing snow.



After a few pictures and a tantrum trying to get her into the car, I hopped in the driver's side to discover that my car wasn't really fully on. So I turned it off and tried to restart it, but it was dead. I was already later than I wanted to be getting to work so this just further annoyed me.

I called AAA to request service while Almi whined from the backseat about wanting to go. When I got the appointment set, I got her back out of the carseat and decided we could play a bit before going in the house, despite the frigid temperatures. She took off down the street and ended up in front of her friend's house. "I want dat!," she screamed, pointing to the house. I explained to her that we couldn't knock on the door (that it was too early) but we could go home and watch Elmo. Major meltdown.

I nudged her up the street and into the house where she screamed bloody murder for me not allowing an 8am playdate. I ignored her and starting making some tea. She came in the kitchen, tantrum over, and asked for some cereal. "Almi, breakfast is over." More tears. Fine. More cereal.

When AAA arrived, I had to go out to speak to driver. More tears. He sent me in for water (to put in the battery) so I had to go in and out of the house two more times. More tears.

Tears, tears, tears. Oh, the terrible twos.

When it started running, the AAA guy told me to let it run for 30 minutes before shutting it off. "Fine," I told him, and went back in the house. When I got inside I saw that Naomi had tried to get her pants down but the cute cords she had on had a button she couldn't undo so she had had an accident.

"That's ok, Pumpkin," I told her but inside I was dying. It was a huge mess. A mess that required a bath and a complete change of clothes, not to mention me having to rinse out her clothes and sanitize the potty.

All this before 9 in the morning!

When I finally got to school I relieved the staff development teacher who was covering my class and tried to have a productive morning without having my centers set up or my plans ready.

Then to top it all off, the secretary said that I needed to put in a leave slip for my time out. A leave slip? Seriously? No sub was hired. "Well, you weren't in here working, why should I pay you?"

Wow. So much for you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours. I told her at my other schools people covered for each other all the time in times of emergency.

"You didn't work. You aren't getting paid."

Nice.

Hope your morning was better.

**edited** This was the view right outside my front door a moment ago. I can't wait for her to see this!