For the past week, Baby E has been sporting a pretty impressive diaper rash. We thought we were getting it under control with the usual suspect (i.e.- Desitin) but lo and behold it came back full force just a few days ago. It’s looking so bad and bothering him so much that I decided to take him in to the doctor during walk in hours this evening. Fortunately, I was able to leave the big kids with Rebecca, so it was just me and Baby E and a whole host of sick and slimy children. The place was packed. But I just kept shoving bottles and crackers in Baby E’s face and he stayed pretty calm. It was a super long wait to see the doctor. So long in fact I was able to watch almost an entire episode of Downton Abby while we waited.

When the doctor finally came he confirmed that the rash needed a prescription and wrote one out for us and then we were on our way. However, we didn’t end up getting home until after nine.

I knew I was in trouble the second I pulled in our parking spot because all of a sudden C got very silent. For a child that had been talking nonstop not more than ten seconds earlier I knew she was playing an all too familiar game of pretending to be asleep so that she would have to do as little as possible by way of getting to bed. Meltdown 1 happened when I ‘woke’ her up to make her walk inside. It all went down hill from there. Big E started freaking out that I wouldn’t let him stay out in the van as the temperature drops to about 20. I finally got everyone inside just in time for them to start screaming hysterically that one of them was hitting the other one, while one of them was pushing the other, etc. I got them upstairs and they whined through pajama time. I finally got them into bed and they moaned that they wanted me. I told them I would put Baby E to bed and come back in and spend time with them.

I wasn’t gone more than 2 minutes tops, and when I returned they were both out! Snoring-drooling-out! So, I gave kisses and hugs and snuck out and downstairs to eat my much overdue dinner and spend some time here.

When the kids were younger I used to fight these meltdowns. I used to try to make them feel better, or try to solve their problems. One day a lightbulb went off in my head that reminded me that there is no rationality when a child is tired. It is pure emotion. Don’t cater to it, just get them the thing their body needs most… sleep. Now, I don’t get as frustrated with these episodes. They come and go, and I can smile through them knowing that once they are in bed, sleep will come quickly for them and peace quickly for me!