Getting Back on Track

Do you ever have those days that you just wish would be OVER? They are so off-track that you are pretty sure the only solution is to give up and start over tomorrow? That’s the sort of day I’m having today. When the clock read only 7:30 a.m., I had already yelled at my daughters, and they were engaged in a “cry-off,” competing for loudest sobs. Instead of a "hello," Katy had begun the day fussing that she didn’t want her sister’s “lovies” in the room when we came in to get her out of bed. Then Bayla wanted milk, but not in THAT cup. Then Katy wanted a red outline of her handprint, but not with THAT red crayon. It was all just ridiculous. I quickly determined that trying to please them was not the path to success this day, so I changed directions completely. While Bayla ate her breakfast and Katy watched with interest, I pulled out my paper and paints, and set to creating background papers for my journal. The paint calmed me and calmed Katy, and breakfast calmed Bayla. By 8 a.m., I thought our day was back on track, thanks to a little Art Time for Mommy.

Of course, real life is never so simple and neat as that, and there have been plenty more rough spots today, even though it’s only noon. But every little step towards peace and getting back on track helps until I can start over again tomorrow!

Here are some of the papers I painted to use as backgrounds in my journal:

Here is an example of what a background paper might look like in a finished journal entry. (I made this entry on the first day of this month.):

And here is my journal entry from yesterday (cut off at the bottom), which reflects how I continue to feel today!:

So how do YOU do it? How do you get the day back on track, or just get through a day that you wish would END now, even though there are hours left to get through? (I have the feeling I'll need some more strategies to make it to 10 o'clock!)