Getting through the day

I am a stay-at-home-mom.  I chose this.  I choose this.  But some days, man, I would choose anything else.  Raising kids is relentless.  They are little bundles of need-want-need-tantrum-need wrapped up in diapers and snot and they certainly don't care if you're busy, tired or, well, let's just say indisposed.  More often than not the clock strikes noon or 1 and I scream (to myself or aloud, it doesn't faze my two) "It's only 1 o'clock??!! Is my house in a parallel universe where time warps happen regularly??  Wait.  If a time warp happens regularly is it just normal time?  Huh..."  This actually reminds me of something my uncle was telling me a few months ago when he visited. He was talking about a study done on nursing home patients and how time does seem to slow down when you're bored because your attention is brought to the passage of time and nothing else.  This study suggested that activities would greatly enhance the lives of the people living in nursing homes, which makes perfect sense.  This correlates neatly to my day-to-day life.  When the afternoon slump hits and I start dreaming about my bed, I try to do something for myself that doesn't involve the kids.  These days I've been making a cup of herbal tea my midday mental break.  I like the routine of picking out the tea, the perfect tea cup, heating the water, and watching the tea steep.  Soon enough there comes a "Mooooom, I need you" from the toyroom and it's back to reality.  But the tea has helped.