Shining Mother Moments

"The best bridge between despair and hope is a good night's sleep." --E. Joseph Cossman

Sabrina had group lessons yesterday, which meant that we didn't get home until nearly 7:00, which meant that I ordered Neil to pick up some Taco Bell for dinner, which meant that the family ate sodium for dinner. 

I was a little on edge because I think I tweaked something at the gym and was suffering with a neck/headache. After dinner, Neil began wrestling with Jessica's pre-calculus...trigonometric identities...it wasn't pretty. I think I heard Jessica say several times, "It's ok Dad, calm down."

I was allowed the blessed privilege of helping Jonah practice his piano. He insisted that Dad help him. Apparently Dad's meager musical knowledge and soft heart are an advantage to Jonah. Nope not tonight. Tonight he got the music nazi who was suffering from a neck ache. 

It only took 30 minutes and threatening to confiscate his life savings to get the child to even sit at the piano. If I was to be in the same room while he practiced, he insisted that I sit there and not say a word. This would have been easily done had he been playing in the right key or had even attempted to count as he played. No, I could not let such things go. I insisted his sister come in and show him how to properly transpose his scale. And I insisted that he fix his mistakes, and I cruelly made him play while I counted out loud, at which point he slithered off the piano bench and told me how much he hated me. At this point, I was ready to set him out on the front porch for the remainder of the evening, for his safety as well as mine.

Not one of my shinier mother moments. I decided to cut my losses, get these kids into bed, and get some much longed for sleep. I woke up at 2:30 in the morning to pee. Curse that bladder of mine! And then I was awake for the rest of the night. 

So here I sit. My headache is alive and well. First thing out of Jonah's mouth as we got into the van to head to school this morning?..."Mom, you are not helping me with my piano today! You are deadly!" Something tells me that I'm in for a whole day of shining mother moments!