Crying Over Spilled Milk

Tonight was one of those nights that I blew it as a mom. It's unfortunate for several reasons, but the first is that our day was going so well. We spent the morning at home together, which is rare. Normally we get up and get going- to the gym, appointments, errands, playdates, etc. Today, though, the girls loved hanging out in their jammies well after breakfast. Therefore, it wasn't until after naps that we ran our errands and went to the Y this evening. I got to workout and then I took the girls swimming. Ellie and I had several good belly laughs at the crazy water aerobics ladies belting out the lyrics to, "Smokin in the Boys Room" while they were punching and kicking in the water. We were having such a good time together that I kept ignoring the clock, even though I knew it was getting late. First mistake! Every mom knows not to push limits when it nears bedtime or naptime for kiddos and I disregarded the unspoken rule. My girls normally go to bed around 7:30, and we didn't leave the Y until 7:10. We still had the drive home, dinner, and bedtime routines in front of us. Just when I announced it was time to head for home Ellie's positive attitude was quickly diminishing and the whines were setting in. By the time we finished dinner and it was time for bedtime routines Ellie was rotten and in all her flailing she knocked over her cup of milk & it spilled everywhere! I was furious at her nasty attitude & at the mess I had to clean up. I yelled at her like I haven't yelled at her in months. She sat quietly and took it all in...Saedi, too. Basically, I modeled the correct way to throw a temper tantrum. While I know I got the point across to her that she was being rude & disobedient, I think the biggest lesson learned was not positive. I did what I knew to do to fix my mistake (apologized), but it wasn't a nice way to end the evening. I know it happens to every mom, but it still stinks..."There's no use crying over spilled milk."