Meltdowns and Mudpies

We had a serious meltdown on the way home from school today.  This all started because Kate didn't want me to drive home.  When I asked her how we would get home she explained to me that she would drive us home.  When I explained that this would not work and that we would be home in literally five minutes all hell broke loose.

Clearly we've had a rough day.

And Mommy not letting her drive made it worse.

So did taking pictures...

Because it seemed to me that Kate had had a rough day, I thought it would be a good idea to scratch all normal routine, get good and dirty and get outside in the rain for a little bit.  We put on our rain boots, gathered our bucket and little shovel, and scoured the yard for ingredients to make mud pie.

It was sprinkling but warm, and we found lots of ingredients to add: mud, sticks, blades of grass, leaves, rocks, little white flowers, little purple flowers, mulch bits, weeds, etc.  Then we mixed it all together and got nice and dirty!  We painted our mud pie on our big rock in our yard with our hands and with sticks and even attempted some face paint!

(Side note: I believe I've mentioned this before but I am SO not looking forward to the days of real face paint.  I know they are looming on our horizon but I want nothing to do with it.  #asyouwere)

That mud!  Those curls!  The pink!  My heart!

I'm ok with mud face paint though.

After we got nice and dirty, we headed to the bath, got cleaned up, washed away our worries, and capped the night off with some books!

I heart this clean girl so much!

By bedtime, balance had been restored in the universe!

At least I think it had been restored...

No matter how old or young, some days are just more difficult than others.  Fortunately, I think we were able to turn this one around!  There's nothing like a little mud pie to change your perspective!