Where My Peace?

This must have been one of the loudest days of my entire life. I have worked at Toys R Us all through a Christmas season. I have visited McDonalds play lands that had too many children running around without adult supervision. I have thought days listening to Kaeley's talking was loud. You know, speaking of Kaeley, there were times when she was learning to talk that she would talk for a good twenty minutes straight without stopping. I would put her to bed for a nap and she'd chatter on as if I were still listening. All these times I thought were loud. I really had no clue as to what I was talking about.
At two o'clock in the morning I decided sleeping out on the couch was worth it compared to sleeping next to the fog horn my husband had become. Before I left the bed I tried my best to shush him sweetly. Once I put my hand on his shoulder, the loud and deep breathing stopped, and he looked toward me and smiled. I nicely shh-ed him. Without blinking he said, "I wasn't making any noise." I couldn't even think of anything to say back to that. Within a few minutes he had fallen back to sleep and the loud snoring began again.
I was awake somewhere around six in the morning and knew I wasn't going back to sleep, so I got up to start my shower and read my devotionals. Getting up early always sounds so productive, peaceful, and virtuous. Every time I do it I spend the first twenty minutes convinced I need to wake up this early every morning. If I only woke up this early every day the days would be so much easier, the house would be cleaner, and the kids and I would just enjoy each other. Ten minutes after that I begin to remember that this particular season of life is not the time I need to be getting up at six. I need any extra sleep or lounging in bed as I can get!
Well, the noise that began at two in the morning left Brad as he walked out to work and it transferred over to Nathan. That boy has not been quiet, unless he's eating or sleeping! All morning long he's spent his time shouting, "Aye aye aye aye aye..." Oh my gracious! I thought I'd go crazy!
In the Christian Bookstore he screamed it and grunted against the buckles of the stroller. In the grocery store he screamed it. When older women would turn around to stare at him he'd smile through the screams. All in the car he screamed.
When we came home Kaeley was getting tired so she went into the bedroom to "read" her new book from the library. Nathan followed her. He yelled, "Aye aye aye aye aye..." until he climbed on top of their toy piano. He would kick at the keys. Finally Kaeley couldn't take it anymore and I heard her scream out, "Nathan! Stop it! Nathan! Stop it! Nathan!"
I put lunch in front of them and walked out of the room to call Brad. I had to tell someone I was going to go crazy. He didn't quite get it. While I was on the phone with him I heard Kaeley yelling, "Stop it, Nathan! See, now you can't hit me anymore!" That little boy of mine was hitting his sister with his grilled cheese sandwich.
I finally put him to bed at 12:30pm. He stayed in bed as he screamed, "Aye aye aye aye aye..." until 1:00pm and I could finally put Kaeley to bed for her nap.
There are scriptures that I take from the Bible and pray them over the family. There is one that I thought about a lot today and wondered when the answer would come. "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." I know deep down that the peace Jesus is talking about is a deep peace in the midst of every situation in this life and extends to the hereafter. I know that, but I can't help but think, "Can't peace mean some peace-and-quiet, God? Please!?!"