Frustration

I've been dealing with a bit of frustration lately and need to get it out. (Sorry in advance.)

-I don't get to blog near as much as I would like. I have a bunch of pictures I want to post, but by the time I get the kids in bed and clean up a bit, I'm done. I just want to go to bed so I can keep my goals of waking up early and exercising. Ugh. And I really want to keep current with friends' blogs, but I have something like 120 new posts on my Google Reader account; I don't know, I'm too scared to look anymore.

-I've got 3 book clubs going on this month, and normally I'd be lucky to finish 1 book in a month, but 3? Plus, there's the ones I want to finish before the summer's over that are sitting there, taunting me each time I pass them. Oh well. Maybe when the kids are in high school I'll be able to read all day??? It's just so hard not to get too involved with a book that I neglect the family all day long or stay up ALL night. Does anybody have any tips on how to step away from the book you're reading?!?

-It has been a very difficult week with Audrey. Okay, it's been longer than that (by about 2 years, maybe?), but this week especially. She had a hard time moving and acted out a bit because of the stress. That was to be expected, and we tried to focus on happy things with her to distract her. She was very excited about the new house, so that helped. But lately she's just been so defiant and it's really hard for me to control my temper when she openly rebels against us like that, so we've been spiraling. Why is it that I seem to be able to figure her out only to forget all that I learned a few months later when we both regress? Yikes. But today was a pretty good day. I was able to stay calm and we both made it through a tantrum okay and actually happy. But by bedtime I was emotionally tired and had Jeromy deal with her for me, and in so doing it took ALMOST TWO HOURS to get them into bed! Mount on top of this that I was trying really hard to get everything done (laundry, dishes, etc.) before bedtime so that I could finish my book tonight for my book club tomorrow night, and... you get the idea.


So, here I vent to make myself feel better, and my sweet husband is making me a snack in the kitchen because I've just told him that I need a break and so I'll be up late. Did I mention that he has to wake up in 5 1/2 hours? Thanks, hon, you're the kindest person I know.