What is the purpose?

I've been reading a book that another mom recommended to me. I'd rather not mention the title of the book, because I'm not sure how credible the book is yet and I'm embarrassed to tell people that I'm reading a book that might possibly be bogus or completely lame. You know you do it - when you see people hanging out on the street or at the doctor's office or airport and you check to see what book they're reading, you think to yourself... "Ah, they're one of those." We grow up being taught not the judge a book by its cover, but does anyone ever remind us not to judge a person by their book? I digress.

Anyhow, in said book it goes on to mention how children at the toddler stage are very curious and how everything they do has a certain purpose. Even ripping open the packaging around a toy and taking apart mom and dad's gadgets teaches them how things are put together. Does this make me a bad parent for stifling their curiosity and their young blossoming minds, because I won't let them destroy my home? Give me a break. I still haven't figured out what kind of lessons they are learning from tantrums (the kind with flailing and kicking body parts), screaming like banshees and annoying the heck out of their sibling over and over. Perhaps they will say that they need to express their emotions fully so they can learn how far they can drive their mother to the brink of insanity and the edge of reason. Ugh. Tough week.

Ok readers, I'm off to New York for a brief vacation. I'm done packing, but I still have a million things to do. This was my day: wake up to my alarm (kids yelling "I'm hungry!"), feed the kids and the fish, sort and wash 4 loads of laundry, finish packing, weigh suitcases to make sure they are under 50 pounds, repack suitcases, make lunch, break up fights (repeat every 10 minutes), bathe sweaty kids, put kids down for naps, bake cake for mother-in-law's birthday, make frosting, messily slop on chocolate frosting while fighting off chocoholic kids, take a shower, wrap presents, create 3 handmade cards, rush to meet in-laws for dinner, fight traffic on the I-5 and arrive only 5 minutes late, drop by Costco, hang out for dessert at in-laws', put kids to bed, clean house, fold laundry, wash dishes, blog, send emails, go to bed??? A mother's job is never done. And the saga continues tomorrow: not get any sleep tonight, run errands in the morning, go to a birthday party, pick up husband and bags from home and head quickly to the airport in order to catch the 5 hour flight to NY. Please God, please let there be no traffic all day in LA. I'm still trying to figure out how I'm going to maneuver the city with my girls and a double stroller. Can it be done? Stayed tuned to find out.