Tired Much??

I am back in Brisbane after Outreach in Townsville.  We did it in four days this week rather than the usual five.  There were a couple of factors in that;

1.  My drive to get home so Levi doesn't have to spend too much time upstairs

2.  One child is visiting relatives out of the country reducing the trip by a home visit

and 3.  One child has died.

So it meant that there was the possibility to doing the trip in a shorter time frame.  We were wrong.  It meant that the days were all twelve hour days and we were all very tired and cranky by the end.  The last day started at 7.30am and ended when I arrived home at 11pm.  The other problem with a four day trip is that the fifth day then also gets booked, but here.

I know, I am tired and whining still.  It is hard at times.  I feel that there are lots of people who need my attention and I am not big enough to cover it all.  I feel as if I can't cover work, family, friends and home maintenance.  In there is Levi, who always seems to get the short straw.  I feel as if I get home and he needs attention but I am whipped.  I think that I am just tired tonight and it is always harder on those days. 

Today, Levi cried four times (that I know about!).  Being upstairs for a week is great but there are strict rules that he must follow and it stresses and tires him as well.  He coped poorly today at school and the short day that I am supposed to have was long and went until 5pm.  My friend picked him up from school and took him home to play until I got there.  He cried when he was picked up because his day had been hard.  His statement?

"My tooth made me lose all my friends today!"

His front teeth are very loose and today when he was eating lunch, they bled.  His friends laughed and it tore him apart.  He cried at the time (I imagine - it's not one of the four known) and when he was telling my friend who picked him up.

Dave's (Father to four) answer to him was beautiful!  He said;

"Laughing doesn't mean that you lose friends, sometimes if you laugh with them, it makes you friends"

Levi wasn't convinced, but managed to dry his tears.  He played at their house until I got there and then again when he got stuck on top of the play structure, and again when he thought they were mad at him for pulling on the weight machine.  By the time we got home, he couldn't really hold it together for anything.  He just needed snuggle on the couch time, a long shower and bed.  He can sleep in tomorrow (I can dream!) and he can catch up over the weekend.  Then we have two weeks and I go on Outreach again; this time to Cairns.  I wish this was easier for him but I do think that in the long run he will grow by having his limits pushed.  If nothing else it will improve his resilience in a safe non-damaging way.  I hope that he sleeps in; Oh Yes; I hope!  There is nothing planned for the weekend and we are a few weeks shy of the start of the Soccer season.  I haven't even been organized to restart swimming training.  It will be a quiet one if at all possible.