Feeling grumpy, think I'll start a blog

I'm writing my first post to my new 'mommy blog' on a day when I am at my most tired and irritable. Probably not the best day to introduce myself to The Internet. So, Internet, please forgive me if I'm not in a 'sparkly butterfly' type of mood today but, rather, what my husband likes to call my 'shit kitten' mood instead. I've tried to bump up the mood with coffee. Didn't work, still tired and even crankier. With a workout at the gym. Didn't work, I yawned my way through 30 minutes on the elliptical and had one of the personal trainers actually ask me if I was ok as I 'pumped some iron' on the weight machine. (Ok, so I was really just sitting there, on the machine, staring and yawning instead of actually lifting any weight.) I even tried to boost the energy level and the mood by taking the boys to the mall to meet a friend for lunch. Didn't work. I marched them home after repeated unsuccessful requests for them to stop tickling and smacking each other at the lunch table and to stop with the plastic sword fights in the middle of the toy store. They got a lovely version of my now (in)famous, "If you'd listen the first time I tell you something, then..." speech, which always seems to come out when I'm at my most impatient.

So nothing I tried popped the grump bubble I've encased myself in today until I heard from an old friend on Facebook who lives nearby but who I don't really see that often. Everything happens for a reason people. I firmly believe that, and hearing from this friend today is no exception. She asked me a question about preschools and then we started to catch up a bit via instant message. I learned that this friend, who by the way is so upbeat and positive and has five, yes that's right I said FIVE boys ranging in age from 16 down to 2, has just received the final paperwork needed in order to adopt a baby girl from Kyrazigstan (ok, I so have no idea how to spell that, but you get the idea-- somewhere far away where there are orphaned babies)! I was blown away and to a certain extent given some perspective on my day and my attitude. Here I am all tired and grumpy and impatient with my TWO children, and here she is adopting a child who needs a loving family and stable home when she is raising FIVE (did I mention there are FIVE) boys already!! Well, I feel like a big ol' meany now. Thank goodness their are people like my friend out there in the world to balance out the whiney lame asses like me. Maybe I'll go read my kids a book or something 'good parent-like' now.