Today is going not so much as I planned it would...I have a little one with an upset tummy, one with an attitude that needs adjusting, and one that is just all boy and needs to get outside and get dirty while he runs off his energy...

BB is working long hours, and he often only gets to spend about 30 minutes at breakfast and another 30 - 45 at night with the kids. It stinks because he loves doing things with them - playing games, reading, just talking about their day. It stinks because when he gets home, he's tired, the kids are excited to see him, but need to be heading off to bed, and I'm just at the end of my rope.

We've had some really cold weather lately, and with 2 kids having ear infections, all 3 having had a stomach bug of some sort recently, and my own battle of the never ending sinus congestion, well, we haven't gone out to take advantage of the clear days to go sledding or just tromping through the snow or making angels in the yard.

Our basement is a black hole of doom right now...at least it feels that way.

BB is creating an engineered floor over the concrete, which will allow us to put anything we want in the way of flooring. I'm excited, but right now, the area being finished is messy, tools are scattered throughout the space, and the rest of the basement is stuffed full of all the boxes, bags, bins, buckets, piles, and heaps of things that have been moved out of the first space.

The kids have no place to run off steam indoors, our local mall is a sad sorry place and we can't afford the drop in rates (or memberships) for places like our Y, Rec Center, or even the business that has bounce houses for the kids to play on...

We've used up all my creative ideas for "guided" crafts, the kids have gone through a bucket of old crayons, our markers are drying up, and the only thing I have in abundance is blank paper. Cans of Play-doh (a gift from my brother) are muddled in color making them unappealing to play with (who wants to make a muddy gray butterfly???), from kids who mixed them together in the few minutes I was away taking a bathroom break.

Legos are mixed together, baby dolls and Barbies are 'no fun' and 'boring', even the well-stocked play kitchen holds no appeal.

I tried having the kids help me bake cookies and that ended with a dozen eggs getting nudged off the counter onto the floor...my bad for leaving the entire carton out, but still...

I've tried having a Household Olympics involving things like sock tosses, basket races, and other weird things.

I even tried flat-out bribing my children with movie rentals to enlist their assistance in the simple act of behaving...

What I need is a heat wave to come and melt the lingering snow banks and drifts, and allow us to get out of doors with less than 10 pounds of clothing per person.

What I need is BB's schedule to lighten up a bit to allow him to be home shortly after sundown, in stead of shortly before bedtime.

I'm looking forward to our date this weekend, and praying we can come up with something equally fun to do next week, and the week after that for our dates!

It's tough, because we've chosen to follow Dave Ramsey's plan for being debt-free (aside from the mortgage, we are!!!!), and staying that way - putting aside for college and retirement, and then paying off the house. That means that we're being aggressive - it's what we decided upon. It leaves little for playtime that's not gratis.

And being as there are no street fairs, festivals, outdoor activities or even days at museums etc right now, we're sort of stuck with what fits our budget.

I know, I know...how can I complain when I've got a husband who works hard to allow us to be debt free while I'm staying at home raising our children and keeping house?!?!?

Some days, it is just easy to lose sight of the over-reaching "why" of it all. And right now, those days have come fast and furious, close on the heels of one another.

Maybe it's because 2 years ago today, we were coming home from the vet's office, having left our beloved Rocco to be put down.

Maybe it's because BB is serious about not wanting more kids.

Maybe it's because I just can't seem to get out from under the monotony of daily living with 3 small children.

Maybe it's because I am selfish.

Regardless of reason behind the funk, I need to snap out of it and quickly!

I'm glad that dinner is ready - just need to reheat the meat for Pile-Ons, and put everything out...maybe I'll just take a little nap today along with the kids!