Crapping Diamonds – Coping with Tension

This morning I took on feeding the kids and prepping them for school, while Maria got ready so that she could attend a PTA meeting. I’m not looking for kudos, just laying the groundwork.

My kids were, at best, jerks this morning. Samuel was up at 6:30, even before Olivia made it to the kitchen for breakfast. Mind you, Olivia’s school starts at 8, Samuel’s at 9, so this was *early* for him. Isaac came out around 7, probably in the best mood of the three.

I got all three breakfast, and was starting on lunches when Maria came out. I was already tense at this point, juggling making their breakfasts with tending to their requests for more cereal, milk, a unicorn, Samuel making goat sounds, Olivia dancing in her chair, and Isaac wearing his (thankfully dry!) bowl as a hat.

By 8:15, Maria has left to drop Olivia off and go to the PTA meeting. I’m cleaning up Isaac, and trying not to tell Samuel to go crawl in a hole and leave me be. I start up a video, and run through the shower.

At 8:45, I’m dressed and ready, check Isaac’s diaper, comb hair, put shoes and socks on, and load up the boys. I get them both checked in, unloaded, and signed in to class by 9:10.

And I am ready to crap diamonds, I am so tense. Maria makes this dance look easy, but I know the truth, that she works very hard to get all three kids up and out like this. Most of the time I am sheltered and simply have to worry about getting myself ready for work, and pitching in if there is a need. I am not used to this, and it takes a lot out of me.

So as I pull into the driveway, I’m wracking my brain about how to blow off some of this tension. I want more than anything to gorge on sweets this morning – pop-tarts, candy, whatever – and eat my feelings. But I know, and have done that often enough, that it won’t actually help or make me feel any better. So I nix that idea.

And that’s what led me to writing this. Writing is cathartic for me. And the hope that maybe someone else will see a little of themselves in this struggle, and choose to embrace their passion for a few minutes rather than some unhealthy means of dealing with their tension, makes this worthwhile. At this point, I’m tense, but markedly less so.

I hope you read this, and it makes you smile. And if you are struggling with something today, you are welcome to steal my phrase, “crapping diamonds” to describe your level of stress!