Empty Glass

You know how you fill up a glass with your favorite beverage? How great it feels to have a full glass of water when you're thirsty?

Children are thirsty little life drinkers. In the morning, after a good shower and getting dressed and eaten, most mornings I'm in good shape. I am a full glass.

If I am sick, or a kid is sick, or (insert other overstimulation here), I start out the day in poor shape.

Most parents feel that bedtime is a great time. Finally, bedtime! Especially for somebody who hasn't even gone to the bathroom one time without a kid in the room or walking/crawling into the room, bedtime is glorious. 

My glass is empty. My glass is completely dry. Yet, some nights there is a persistent resistance. Every kid has this sometimes. Most nights are the glorious I speak of. But some nights, again, are just a battle. It's a "get out of my hair" time of day. It's a "this is the first chance I've had to not hear someone speaking all day". Its a "This is the first chance I've had to do my PT all day because I've been a mom all day today". 

Of course, after a week of exhaustion: baby spent 3 days screaming and needing to be held every second (I think teething and a developmental leap happened) and her not sleeping well either, and then followed by a week of big guy getting sick and being fussy and snotty and coughy and not sleeping at night because his inability to breathe woke him up disoriented and confused and crying and unable to hear us ask him what was wrong.... THEN baby and I get sick once that finally was over... its all added up to 2 weeks of pure frustration, exhaustion and madness. 

And now this battle. I'm really not doing well. I'm really fighting.

How do you refill your glass? When? What is your favorite tool for refills?