The horrible, terrible, no-good, very bad day

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“Things falling apart is a kind of testing and also a kind of healing. We think that the point is to pass the test or to overcome the problem, but the truth is that things don’t really get solved. They come together and they fall apart. Then they come together again and fall apart again. It’s just like that. The healing comes from letting there be room for all of this to happen: room for grief, for relief, for misery, for joy.” – Pema Chӧdrӧn

On this past Saturday, we had a horrible, terrible, no-good, very bad day.*

Cooper the dog, had some potty accidents that we discovered. A couple that I found and cleaned up first thing in the morning, and a couple that Miss O unceremoniously stumbled upon. Ewww. Apparently, Cooper had GI issues after his surgery to remove the grass from his ear on Thursday.

We found some bugs in our pancake mix.

Then nine-year-old Miss O saw that the vines in Rusty, the crested gecko’s enclosure had fallen down. On closer inspection, we’d been misting too much and the whole enclosure was a swamp. So, instead of our to-do list chores, we spent all morning rehabilitating Rusty’s setup.

[Side note: We called my niece to get some advice. She’s the one who gave us Rusty. Miss O told her that we’d gotten Rusty out of the enclosure by saying, “We executed Rusty.” We quickly clarified that we’d evacuated, not executed, Rusty.]

At a kid’s birthday party, five-year-old Mr. D got hit in the head by a water balloon thrown by an 11-year-old boy who had been spitting in the ballons before hurling them.

Our tap water turned brown.

It was literally one thing after another. Some things caused by us, like Rusty’s enclosure. Some things that were random like the water turning brown. Some things caused by other humans like the water balloon.

There is probably nothing that peeves me more than life messing with my efficiency. I was not in a great mood, but I’ve learned from experience that rough days call for leadership, even when I don’t feel like it.

At one point in the day, Miss O exasperatedly said, “This is awful. I don’t know what to do!”

So, we talked about my dad’s approach to just find the next right thing to do. And we took comfort that what we did have to respond to “life” with was each other. We were doing pretty good job of sticking together.

Then as the kids were getting ready for bed, a huge lightning storm came in. Seattle very rarely gets thunderstorms so this was a rare and incredible show. After they brushed their teeth, we snuggled in my bed with all the curtains open and watched the storm.

It was fitting. On a day that seemed extra “life-y,” to let the storm and rain exhaust itself and pass on through. In that way, we weathered the storm.

(featured photo from Pexels)

*Title is a riff on the children’s book, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judy Viorst

69 thoughts on “The horrible, terrible, no-good, very bad day”

  3. Words matter! The evacuation vs execution part made me giggle out loud. I’m glad it was a miscommunication!

    We’re getting stormy days here too as residual effect of the tropical hurricanes down south. They are, as you noted, a good metaphor for life. Sometimes, things get in the way of our day’s efficiency and we must hunker down and weather the storms. They always pass.

    Good luck with the week! I’m not sure if it’s back to school for you all yet. We have two more weeks of summer here and it’s just flying by so quickly.

    Liked by 5 people

    1. Now I’m laughing all over again. Nope, we didn’t execute Rusty. 🙂

      We’ve got two more weeks as well. Starting back on Sept 4th. I would have thought you’d have a little more time given how late you went. Enjoy the rest of this time!!

      Liked by 1 person

  4. Congrats on your leadership of the home team, Wynne. That book has long been useful with adults in psychotherapy. Your dad’s phrase remains a winner. He’d be proud of you!

    Liked by 3 people

  5. Wow! What a string of stuff to contend with. Yikes! I love how you wrapped up the day. Nature, snuggles, each other. And I’m with Ab! Miss O’s unfortunate word choice was a giggle…and thankfully not prophetic. I mean…Rusty’s still okay, right?!? 🥰

    Liked by 4 people

  6. Horrible, terrible, no good days are the worse. For me the sliver lining of your story is what you mentioned: doing the next best thing and doing it together. When I think back on my experiences, I don’t remember the things breaking or falling apart, I remember how I and others reacted to them. Something tells me in the years ahead — Miss O and Mr D will not remember everything falling apart. Instead they’ll reminisce fondly about how Cooper left lil surprises everywhere and the crazy night when mom let them watch the thunder and lightening together from her room! Hang in there. Hope a better today and tomorrow!

    Liked by 4 people

    1. This is such an insightful comment, Brian! You’re right – we don’t remember what happened, just the reactions. Absolutely true that those are what stick with us!

      Thanks for the good wishes. Everything was better the next day so it was just one weird day we had to live through. I’m sure they’ll be others but we are practicing the important stuff. Thanks, my friend! ❤

      Liked by 1 person

      1. My son talked recently with fondness about a nut and candy warehouse we used to visit. He and his brother and sister loved getting their own bags and walking around the store. He forgot completely about the reason we even found the store. We were lost, tired, and all a bit hangry. We fell in love with the store and it became a part of our routine to make a visit in the fall! It’s how react to things that make them special!!!😎😎😎

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  7. Yikes, that really was a no-good, very bad day! Any one of those incidents would have been bad enough. Bravo for getting through it and being able to enjoy nature’s light show as a well deserved reward!!

    Liked by 3 people

  8. Wowee! In my experience, the best I can do on a terrible, awful, no-good bad day is to tell myself that tomorrow is another day and will be better. Then pray that I’m right! I’m so glad that you all lived to tell the tale!

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Oh, Julia, there is so much I love about this comment. Especially, “Then pray that I’m right!” Exactly! We all lived to tell the tale and are laughing about it today!! Thanks, my dear friend! ❤ ❤ ❤

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  9. When my son was little, that was our favorite book. And your dad’s advice to just do the next right thing is so perfect to remember when we have those terrible, horrible, no good, very bad days.💞

    Liked by 3 people

  10. Well I gotta give it to you, when things go south for you, you do it up big. We all have days [or weeks or months] like the one you just experienced. But in the end you got a blog post out of it, so all is good.

    Liked by 3 people

  13. I don’t like bad days, but I kinda prefer that everything happens on that day instead of coming in bits and pieces! Glad you turned to your dad’s advice!

    On a different note, in Native American spiritual beliefs, the Wakinyan, the Thunder Spirits, come to cleanse the earth of negativity and pestilence. “In the Lakota tradition, one of the main purposes of the Wakinyan is to purify the world from all filthy things. They sweep it with wind, wash it with water, or burn it with lightning.”

    I found it fitting that your day ended with the environment cleansing!

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Oh, that’s powerful, Tamara! That is such a powerful belief and I love how you put it as environment cleansing!

      And I agree with you – better all at once then in drips and drops! Thanks, my friend!

      Liked by 1 person

  14. None of you had to go it alone. I think having others during the hard stuff makes things at the very least bearable. You are a family that will always support each other Wynne. I have no doubt about that.

    Liked by 2 people

  15. That’s great advice from your father about taking it one next step at a time. Sometimes it makes sense to stare up at the mountaintop and plan backward, but sometimes — especially on those awful days where everything seems to go wrong — the best we can do is face our bodies in the right direction, and then put one foot in front of the other until we make it through the day. I hope Cooper and Rusty are doing better, and that everyone’s in a lighter mood after a good night’s rest.

    Liked by 2 people

  16. The fact that you got a thunderstorm on a day where “if it rains, it pours” couldn’t have been any truer is perfectly fitting! Sounds like your optimism was put to the test during that particular 24 hours.

    Liked by 2 people

  17. I sometimes feel like thunderstorms represent a very massive and physical notification that some things (most things?) are out of our control. Their light shows and rolling thunder concerts are like massive energy wave symphonies filling the sky telling us to pay attention to it’s power. The details and frustrations of our day stay in the queue like children sent to their rooms.

    Liked by 2 people

  18. Snuggled together with your children in bed with all the curtains open watching the thunderstorm rage is one of the best remedies I’ve heard for calming a bad day’s maladies Wynne.

    Liked by 2 people

  19. Well played! You led the troops past the horrible, very bad day. The snuggling during the T-storm seemed the perfect end of day antidote. By the way, not staying attached to outcomes was a wonderful way to end our vacation. We focused on being not doing, and all were refreshed.

    Liked by 2 people

  20. What a perfect ending to the horrible, terrible, no good, very bad day! (Yes, I remember the book). Thunder, lightning and rain to help clear things out. Sorry about everything that went wrong. We watched the storm too.

    Sounds a little like the beginning of my recent vacation when right off the bat, my phone fell out of my pocket and into our car, which I discovered when my son and I were checking in at Seatac, just after my husband dropped us off, after waiting through the worst airport traffic I’d ever seen. Things ended up ok, but there was a bit of panic.

    Liked by 2 people

  21. Oh my goodness Wynne, all I can say is YIKES! That reminds me of the song they sung on Hee Haw, “Gloom, despair, and agony on me. If it weren’t for bad luck I’d have no luck at all.” 😂😜🤣 But through it all there was that perfect storm that soothed whatever twisters proceeded it that day, for a good night’s sleep! WHEW! 😴💤😴 Love this story. 🥰🙏🏼😊

    Liked by 2 people

      1. You’re so very welcome my dear Wynne. I love your analogy on every unexpected event that occurred. You are truly resilient and I love the way you are teaching your kids to be resilient too! 🤗🙆🏼‍♀️🥰💖😊 How awesome! 🙏🏼

        Liked by 1 person

  23. Sounds like you hit an ebb in the flow of life. These days, they pop up and they will. I often plot out an end game for my day, because as you have discovered it is not how the day begins, but how you end the day.      

    Liked by 2 people

  24. Yikes. I’d likely have suggested the dash to Australia. Isn’t it strange how things can all go wrong all at once. I love your dad’s advice, to find the next right thing. It can be hard to focus in the chaos of chaos. His advice narrows the vision to something specific.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. I’m laughing about the dash to Australia. Typed by you while you are in Ireland makes it even funnier!

      And you’re comment about narrowing down the vision to something specific – so good!

      Like

  25. I appreciate Miss O’s desire to practice her vocabulary, even if her execution was less than perfect. Go, Miss O!

    Also…I giggled a little about life messing with your efficiency. I mean, of course…

    Liked by 2 people

  27. What a great story about weathering the storm Wynne. Some days are like that, but then you led with gumption. And the thunderstorm was the perfect ending. That’s what the kids will remember most, the time snuggling with you, putting the lid on a difficult day with a light show.

    Liked by 1 person

  28. I love this! I just stumbled upon your blog and subscribed. I think – despite the storms throughout your day that day – enjoying the real storm as a family at the end of the night was perfect. ❤

    Liked by 1 person

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