Just take a deep breath

When my kids get all worked up and feeling anxious and crazy I sometimes tell them to take a deep breath and calm down. Today I need to take my own advice.
By all regards it has been a great day. I went to the gym, had a yummy breakfast (thanks hubby!), got my kids to their fun summer reading class ON TIME!!! Ran all the errands I needed to with only one kid (thanks again hubby for taking our lovable Max at your office during your prep time so I could do errands faster). Then I was even ON TIME to pick the kids up. (Can you tell that I am sometimes late places. Because it was a big deal that I was on time both times today) Then, being in a jolly mood, I decided to let the kids each have a friend over. I think that's when it started. Just the over excitement of a bunch of kids playing together. There was NO fighting, or problems with the kids. They even let Max tag along. Great, right?? Well, they were so loud (from having fun) and I could not calm them down. Running around didn't help, watching a show didn't help, playing at the neighbors didn't help... And I thought they would calm down when their friends went home. Nope... It seemed to get worse. I guess the up side is they were still getting along. Eventually they wanted to invite another friend over. So Peter had his neighbor friend, Josh over. And Sophie had her friends (twins) from school over. Twice the fun, right... Just more loud laughter and playing. But for some reason, their sunshine was really getting under my skin. I sent them to play outside. I could still hear them!! But it was ok until they woke the baby up. And Peter skinned his knee while playing and it was a life or death situation according to Peter. It took him a good hour before he calmed down and was able to walk again. But he got an extra Popsicle out of it. Hmmm. And Gavin went back to sleep after a bottle, so all was not lost. When you look at it on paper.

This is where my story turns from good to ugggh.

We live in my in-laws house, and they live in the attached apartment. It seems to work for the most part, but they have this dog that apparently none of them seem to want. They always talk about getting rid of him, but don't. It's ok, they probably love him despite his problems. I don't. I usually put up with him. But today I am about ready to drive him to the animal shelter myself...
He bit Sophie's first friend this morning. While she was timidly walking by him with her arms folded. So we put him inside. Then he was out again this afternoon. With Sophie's new set of friends they were playing with him, and then I guess they had enough and put him in the house without me knowing and didn't put him in the kennel. While I was at the door talking to a friend he escaped out the front door and before he took off running around the corner he decided to bite one of the twins on the arm!! I could have killed that dog!! I was so mad!! And I guess before he came inside he somehow got the garbage out and there were diapers strewn and opened all over the back yard. Talk about nasty!!! And as I mentioned, he did run away. I was sort of ok with that, but felt guilty. He came back, of course. And everyone is feeling better and the garbage is picked back up. But I am not a happy camper. And I am cringing, listening to his yippy bark as he is back in the backyard as we speak. Ahhhh...
I am not a dog fan today.

And I don't get to go to bunko tonight. I am totally bummed...

I think I need to take another deep breath now.