One of those days

So today started out as one of those nasty, crabby days. You know that kind of day if you have kids. Ivy had had two tantrums before breakfast was even on the table. She burst out crying several times during our meal and then sat on my lap, a teary mess. We were all starting to get out of sorts when Ivy spotted the popcorn maker out of the corner of her eye. "Popcorn mommy." My first reaction was to say "You can have popcorn for your snack later honey"...and then I sat there remembering this post by my favorite blogger Soule Mama (scroll down until you find a post that says "Some Days"). I suddenly realized that I didn't have to sink into a bad mood and try to help Ivy through her difficult day with my usual techniques, but rather I could derail her bad day with fun and indulgence. Sounds kind of weird doesn't it. I think my usual reaction to a bad day is to assume that something is wrong with me or the kids or our life....but I hardly ever assume that it's just one of those days. What would I like to happen to me on a bad day? Well dinner out, breakfast in bed, chocolate, and a nap would help. So to make a long story short, I made the popcorn and everyone cheered up. We followed that by a lovely family bike ride to the library and lunch at our favorite cafe. The girls are resting now and I'm grabbing a little time alone. All's well that end's well.