The Land of Happy

After Gabriel lost it over homework last night, throwing his paper and breaking the dry erase markers, I was already angry that my husband was in Dallas for the night. Out to dinner with colleagues, having steak at a high end restaurant.

Then Nick was angry with me, because I was frustrated with Gabe. And he screamed at me. A LOUD I want your attention scream. Which is very unlike him.

I took a deep breath, and we started bedtime early.

But Matt wasn't having it. He was running around, literally, which is not like him either. He was bright red from all the running and was insisting that he get to play 'jokes' with Nick. Which, in case you are wondering, means he wants to trick Nick, hide from Nick, squirt toothpaste on him (which he did, and all over the carpet in my room), or put ice cubes down his back. Brothers.

I am chasing Matt like a crazy woman, holding him down, forcing him under the heavy blanket and trying to figure out what "I need the grey thing" means. Turns out it is a train track that his father glued back together for him. *sigh*

Finally when all three boys are sitting in bed ready to read, and things begin to calm down, and my animosity for my husband in the hotel lobby having a drink starts to subside, we read this poem by Shel Silverstein:

THE LAND OF HAPPY

Have you been to The Land of Happy,

Where everyone's happy all day.

Where they joke and they sing

Of the happiest things,

And everything jolly and gay?

There's no one unhappy in Happy,

I have been to The Land of Happy---

What a bore!

And I laughed out loud. That Shel Silverstein is a genius.

Because really, my happy is in the not-so-happy that I have every day.

And the one thing I am sure you could not call my life, is a BORE!

Hope your weekend is not-Happy,

H

Photo: Shel Silverstein's famous "Where the Sidewalk Ends" illustration.