One of those days

It’s one of those days…

When your 9 month old refuses to do anything except be carried by you, and you alone.

When your 9 month old is clearly hungry but won’t eat purees (So. Much.Wasted.Oatmeal. And yogurt.) and isn’t allowed to have bananas or toast in the morning because he’s chronically constipated. And you don’t want to feed him only sugary fruits. And all of the breakfast baby bars online are basically BANANAS with a few oats mixed in.

When your husband gives up on the three day project of installing a baby gate which has led to more banged shins and hips than anything else in the house ever. And all it does is make the grownups not want to go up and down the stairs. The kids keep trying anyway.

When your 3 year old inexplicably dumps all of his toys in the entryway between the living room and dining room, effectively blocking the front and back of the downstairs. Hundreds of blocks.

When all you want to do is unload the dishwasher, but all you are actually doing is creating mountains of dirty dishes (mostly in vain attempts to feed previously mentioned 9 month old).

When you know you need to work out more for your sanity than any other day this week but you absolutely positively do NOT want to pull on your shorts and shoes to go for a run. Besides, it’s cold. And the 9 month old is still clinging to you.

When you’re depressed because it’s cold. And you’re depressed because you think that 65 outside equals cold.

When you pull out a frozen Rubbermaid of old cookie dough. You think you’ll throw it out, but then it tastes OK when you sample it. So you decide to just throw the whole blob in the oven. And it’s all dry and gross after you already grease your pan and preheat your oven.

When you are mulling six different date/time/location options to be able to see your best friend in October. But flights seem to go up in price every time you’re ready to purchase. Also you’re not sure if your currently-nursing infant will still need you six times a day in two months. And you don’t want to fly out of the airport that’s an hour and twenty minutes away when there’s one fifteen minutes away. But you could save $50 on a ticket. And is it cheaper to use one of the all-inclusive price sites or go through the direct airline? And then your 9 month old starts pounding on the keyboard.

When you try to scramble an egg on the stove for your infant and all you can see is his big head blocking your way. #blindchef #donotburnthebaby #oryourself

When your husband and 3 year old, working hard to get baby gate fixed and shelving finished, leave the two doors to the garage and basement wide open every 2.3 minutes. You must close them every 2.3 minutes lest your 9 month old fall down the basement steps. We had a close call the other day and it was terrifying.

When your second baby gate doesn’t fit in the doorway to block the entryway to the basement steps.

When baby gates are just STUPID.

When your mind is willing to work and think and problem-solve, but your physical being is stuck in a cycle of cleaning up and closing doors.

Ever have one of those days?

Today’s 1%: This homemade Pad Thai sauce is delicious and not nearly as sugary/salty/fatty/preserved/pricey as the $3.99 baby jar of it at Wegmans. Win at ALL levels.

Pad Thai sauce: put all together and give a quickie shake in a jar. Credit, once again, goes to pinchofyum.com.

·         3 tablespoons fish sauce or vegan fish sauce substitute

·         3 tablespoons brown sugar (or sub another sweetener)

·         3 tablespoons chicken or vegetable broth

·         2 tablespoons white vinegar

·         1 tablespoon soy sauce

·         1 teaspoon chili paste (sambal oelek)