Why I Oughtta!!!!!!!

First off, Happy Memorial Day, and, if you live in the U.S., take a moment to remember those who have and are sacrificing so much (including the families of our service men and women).

Hubby is coming back from another camping/climbing trip to Yosemite. I've been here with the kids since Saturday, and I'm remembering why life was so hellish when my son was younger.
Because his sister is now going through that exact phase. Climbing on the counters, standing in the sink, playing in the toilet, dumping any liquids she can get her cute little hands on onto the floor/carpet, sticking her face in the dog's water bowl and blowing bubbles, and, my personal fave, dumping water from her bath onto the bathroom floor, where it proceeds to leak not only into the hallway, but through the ceiling and onto the floor below.
Added to that is the waking-up-screaming-for-no-apparent-reason-at-6-AM, the yelling-kicking-scratching-Mommy's-face-with-her-fingernails, and the growth-spurt-hungry-every-10-minutes-but-no-she-won't-eat-that-that-OR-that.
I subbed a Pilates class in the morning. In was OK, but definitely not me in top form.
Gee. Can't imagine why.
I couldn't take the kids anywhere because it was cloudy, windy, cold and wet. Not AT ALL what was predicted for the weekend! So I spent the rest of the day dealing with two cranky, fussy, cabin-fevered kids and a neurotic dog who wouldn't do her business once I managed to get her outside.
And to add to the gloriousness of the day, I got my period.
Oh yeah, it was a red-letter day all around!
I ended up cleaning the house a bit, washing dishes (only to have the dishwasher leak, grrrr!), giving the kids their baths, and doing a "Core Rhythms" workout 'cause I had all this excess energy to burn.
Today? The kids slept until 8:45 AM!!!!!!!!! We had breakfast, then piled into the car to go for a drive. I found a GREAT park in the middle of a residential neighborhood: it's a kid AND dog park!!!!! There were two dogs when we got there; a little one who looks kinda like our dog (they got along great) and a big ol' mastiff, who apparently gets along with everyone and everything, 'cause he's the sweetest big guy! (Poor thing was quite hot, though. It's been very warm and sunny today. Yay!)
The kids played on the play structure, which includes a mini climbing wall. My son was up and down it like a monkey and my daughter was climbing up and sliding down BY HERSELF. Which she couldn't do just a short time ago.
The best part, though, was when the dog, who is part Corgi and has a strong herding instinct, followed us up onto the play structure, then followed me down the slide!!!! The poor thing had a look of absolute terror (mixed with a bit of "Oh, what have I gotten myself into now?") on her face.
She's so cute!
When we were leaving, I noticed one of WG's shoes had come off. So I asked LG to get it, and he did. The he walked back to the car without my having to hold on to him. A year ago he would have dashed out in the middle of the street.
Anyway, we went to the crocery store, and they were both so good! LG didn't try to bust open the chips before we paid for them, and WG didn't drop anything on my foot. (When she was REALLY little, she thought it was hilarious to drop cans of dogfood onto Mommy's flip-flop clad toes.)
They were quiet, they were a little tied, and they put up zero fuss.
Success!!!!!
Now, I think we might just all want to rest a bit.
Oh, who am I kidding?