happy hour

There comes a time of day when bambini and Mama wear kinda thin.  For us, this is around 4:30 or 5pm.  It's late in the day but not yet quite time for dinner, Daddy's not home yet, and we're all running a little low on energy.  Other mamas may have more colorful names for this particular time period, but I like to refer to it as "happy hour" -- a description I can't take credit for but choose to use in order to retain a sense of hopefulness.

Navigating the day takes some strategy.  This includes siesta time after lunch -- something upon which I am insistent because of the overall impact its inclusion or omission can have on the rest of the day.  My two lads don't fall asleep very often anymore, but we do settle down and read together for a while.  This gives me a chance to put my feet up for a minute, and more importantly a chance to reconnect with the bambini if we've been either busy doing separate things (like them playing while I tend to household duties) or out and about.  I try to make siesta time last at least 45 minutes to an hour.  The lass often drifts off to sleep while I read (if she hasn't already fallen asleep).  It's a highlight of our daily routine.

Infrequent naps can make things dicey later, though, so to weather Happy Hour, here are some things I try to take note of and address...

• hunger (mine and theirs): I try to offer a snack with protein after school (or at least by 4pm on stay-home days).  My own fatigue by this point in the day can easily dissolve into irritability (which I pray to be free of) unless I can recognize that I myself need some protein too at this time (although endorphins via dark chocolate are also highly appropriate at this time, this can be tricky if I'm not willing to share -- which I'm often not right about then).
• busyness: it's during Happy Hour that I might be trying to round up things for dinner and get it going so that it's ready when my beloved gets home, though lately we've been trying to have simpler meals or those we've prepared in advance and are simply reheating.  If I'm able to get down on the floor with and play with the bambini or read a book (or four) to them instead of scurrying around the kitchen, we all tend to fare a little better.
• humor (or lack thereof): oftentimes, we need some levity to keep our spirits buoyed as we eagerly await Daddy's return home.  Mama has her ways of accomplishing this, as do the bambini (some within house rules, some outside them; Mama's challenge is to channel things in the former direction).
• energy expenditure: especially on days when the elder lad doesn't go to preschool, it really helps the lads to get outside and run around.  The past few days have been temperate enough for them to muck around in the mess of the melting snow and the mud beneath it.  This means bath time immediately afterward, but that works in our favor for an earlier bedtime.
• media consumption: sometimes after the reading part of siesta time or after school I will turn on the TV for a show or two (favorites are Curious George, Dinosaur Train, and Good Eats -- pre-screened, of course).  But I'm careful not to let the TV stay on very long.  The longer it's on, the more likely moods are to deteriorate.

Still, in spite of experience and forethought and everyone's best efforts, Happy Hour can still wreak havoc on the early evening all the way through lights out.  No one wants this, and we all resolve to start fresh in the morning and do better tomorrow.  I pray and hope for a good night's rest, a peaceful day, and a sense of humor to keep us afloat through these days of early childhood that will too soon be gone.

Cheers~