Why? Here are some reasons just from today:

When it’s the afternoon and it takes you an hour and 10 minutes to walk the 800m round trip to the post office to check the PO box and pick up a parcel that I apparently missed the delivery for.

Deep breaths all the way, and it was a lovely walk. Even when Chanbe lost his cool because he wanted me to buy him the wooden model aeroplane that they had at the AusPost shop. So so many deep breaths and we all got through it.

When we’ve had a great dinner time, easy bath time, no trouble getting PJs on and teeth brushed, and Chanbe wants to read The Cat in the Hat and The Cat in the Hat Comes Back. For about the eighth time in recent memory. I take my deeeeeeep breaths and ask him very nicely if maybe he could choose two different stories tonight, since we have so many to choose from. And he did. Because I asked nicely and calmly. I am the adult, after all. (Meaning I need to set the example!)

When I’ve read the stories, (Chance ended up choosing two Hairy McLary books which I’m quite fond of) talked about what we did today, sung three songs, (I sang them Bike by Pink Floyd for the first time tonight and they loved it!) and brought them their cold water in sippy cups (man do I ever regret starting that little ritual a year ago) and Quindy starts up: “I wan’t more dinnnnnnaaaaaahhhhhh.”

I take my deep breaths and I calmly explain that she ate all of her dinner and her yoghurt and her fruit and now it’s bedtime. After a bit more fussing about (“I need a bandaid/blanket/froggy”) it’s done with and she is going to bed happy.

When I’m transferring my beef schnitzel from the frying pan to my plate and I drop it on the floor, and the Schnitzel von crumbs go everywhere (see what I did there?)

I took my deep breaths, brushed it off (I had just vacuumed the floors an hour before after the kids were eating grated cheese sitting down in the kitchen while I was cooking) and put it on my plate.

And finally, after a long day, and another day of not knowing when Hubs will be home, I should have known better, but learned the hard way, not to open a screw top bottle of wine while I’m holding it horizontally.

Deep breaths while I clean up the floor for the third time in 2 hours.

So there you have it folks. You heard it here first – breathing is good for you. I made a conscious effort to just walk around all day taking deep breaths, so when situations arose that needed me to be calm, I was already well on my way. I just have to remember it again tomorrow…