When I say it is a Jo Day the people in my family cringe.
Rightfully so, a Jo Day is not a pleasant thing to endure. It involves kicking, screaming, biting, yelling, spitting, and hitting. The word "No!" is issued often from the mouth of a two-year old.
We have no idea why Jo has days like this. I mean we all kind of have days like this: You wake up in a crabby mood for no real reason and everything just seems to make you annoyed. The difference is most of us can function. Jo cannot.
They start the night before: she screams and cries in her sleep eventually waking herself up and needing me.
Now we start Jo day with half of our family a bit sleep deprived...after making coffee, we begin cancel events and re prioritize our schedule. There is no use trying to plow through on Jo Day - things will not go on as planned.
On Jo Days, Nan and Michael are frustrated.
On Jo Days, Jo and I behave poorly.
I am short-tempered and I yell. I hide behind sugar and the computer like I usually do when I get stressed. I cry.
In the midst of all this I try very hard to sing to Jo "Her Song."
"I love you. I love you. I love you, Josie Sue.
I love you. I love you, no matter what you do."
I know she needs to hear those words today more than usual. I long for her to have my voice echoing that in her head instead of the other ugly, short-tempered things I have said and I will say today.
Eventually, she will wake up from nap. We will know within those first few seconds if Jo Day will continue full force until bed or just dissipate into nothing during nap.
It is days like this that I am reminded that we don't know what goes on behind someone else's closed doors. I am afraid that I give the impression that I have it all figured out or that our family is just wonderful.
For Real: It is a Jo Day.
For Real: On Jo Day's I have to work (and pray) very hard.
For Real: On Jo Day's I work and pray very hard and still the day is yucky.