WIWS: 8 Weeks

Palm Sunday. The beginning of Holy Week. The last, most important stretch of Lent.

Kids just know, don't they? That you want so badly to have a good, peaceful, prayerful end of Lent. That these days are really important, and there are a ton of things to do. That you just went to confession, and don't want to yell anymore before Easter. 

That's why they turn into little monsters this week.

Little Bear spent the whole long Gospel kicking and screaming and sobbing out in the foyer. It has taken hours, literally, to put him to sleep at nap time and bed time. Yesterday evening, he poured goldfish all over the kitchen floor and went around the room methodically stomping on every. single. one.

It's Palm Sunday! I don't want to be sitting here frustrated to tears, angry with the boy, and my husband, and God for giving me kids and still expecting me to be a good Catholic. Putting Little Bear to sleep shouldn't leave me feeling like confession yesterday was pointless. How am I supposed to be a good parent, and a good wife, and a good Catholic, when one small boy can so easily make me so frustrated? After two hours of fighting with Little Bear about going down for a nap, I don't care what he wants to happily chatter to me about; I just want him to close his eyes and go to sleep and be a good obedient child already! And the twenty-seventh time his eyes pop open and he starts grinning and telling me about caterpillars, it's just too hard to hold my tongue and not yell at him to go to sleep.

And he stops, and stares at me. And then he closes his eyes, turns his head away, and falls asleep. It worked; I got what I wanted. And I feel so horrible.

I'll try to start over again and do better when he wakes up. And probably again ten minutes later, after he comes up with some new way of getting in trouble. And again, and again, and again for the rest of the week. "Peaceful" and "prayerful" are probably impossible goals for Holy Week at this stage in our lives, but I can keep trying for "not super frustrated all the time..."

Shirt: Style&co, thrifted

Skirt: Faded Glory, thrifted

Tights: not maternity... need to find some!

Boots: Canyon River Blues, Sears

Jacket: Cabelas

Necklace: gift from my mom

Earrings: made by my sister

Not exactly the same colors, but the greens, browns, and golds fit well with the rest of the outfit! It's been so long since I've actually worn jewelry; I'd forgotten how easy it was to feel dressed up in a less-fancy outfit with just a little bit of sparkle.

The skirt... It's getting retired until next spring. Thanks to Squirrel it's riding high enough that opaque tights are non-negotiable, and high enough that I don't have any slips short enough to keep it from sticking.

Have a nice Sunday, hopefully more peaceful than ours, and a blessed Holy Week. Don't forget to visit Fine Linen and Purple for What I Wore Sunday!