If I only had a clue…

Welcome to my life… the one that I wish I had a clue about. In fact, every day, I learn how little I know. This might have something to do with the two rugrats running around my house… seriously, one would think an educated adult could figure out the ramblings of a 2 year old. Or, teach a 4 year old that winning isn’t everything.

The truth is, my children baffle me. They are innocent angels one minute and montrous devils the next. Laughing and giggling turns into a temper tantrum of epic proportions over who gets to sit in mommy’s lap during storytime. A “fun” game of Hi-Ho Cherry-O’s turns into a scream fest when a spin of the wheel causes the loss of cherries back to the tree.

And, when did Hi-Ho Cherry-O’s turn into a game of Cherries, Apples, Blueberries and Oranges? It just doesn’t make sense. But we do get to practice our colors. As if the challenges of winning and losing are not enough for the average 4 year old heart to deal with.

Don’t get me wrong. My children are my joy – when they are not driving me crazy that is. There’s nothing better than an unsolicited kiss followed by “I love you”. Or, experiencing the pure joy of a 4 year old eating an ice cream cone from the blue short bus. (Yes, our ice cream man drives a converted, blue short bus around town. Good marketing though – you can recognize the bus a mile away!)

But it’s the random, unpredictable shifts in mood that confound me daily. Although, in reality, don’t we all feel this way. We forget to eat and we get cranky. Too little sleep equals short tempers. And not getting what we want causes frustration, sadness and depression. Don’t we all want to just scream sometimes?

In truth, kids make perfect sense. But I still can’t figure them out…