Yesterday morning I went for a walk at 5:40, and when I got back an hour later, everyone was awake watching TV. I let them keep watching until 8:00. Then we had breakfast, I made them do their chores and get ready for the day, we stripped their beds and did a few loads of laundry, and they read for 20 minutes.
I made my kids a summer checklist of things they need to do every morning as well as a chart for their daily afternoon chores. When they saw the list, they lost their marbles.
"Don't you know it's summer? Summer is supposed to be fun! We aren't supposed to work during the summer."
Why, yes! I'm making my kids do terrible things all summer like get dressed, make their beds, and brush their teeth.
The horror!
(Actually, the real "horror" is the fact that I have to write things like this on a list in the first place. Why can't they just brush their teeth on instinct?)
After a morning of unfair hygiene tasks, I made lunch - homemade mac & cheese. I add this detail not to brag - "oh look at me! I'm the mom who makes homemade mac & cheese all summer" - but because I want you to know that lunch took an hour to make. I did this intentionally to fill some time.
After lunch we went to the library, got Slurpees, did perler bead art, and blew up the inflatable pool.
At that point... it was 2:00 p.m., and I was starting to question the validity of the eight clocks in my home.
The kids played in the pool for an hour, did more perler bead art, did their afternoon chores, and then watched two more hours of TV. After Scotty got home, they alternated between watching TV and playing in the pool until it was time to go to bed.
The day was so incredibly long. Today has been the same, except there has been more fighting (which is hard to believe), so I've spent more time administering discipline. Nicky and Daisy have been awarded early bed time, and they've had to go to the "Sorry Stair" multiple times.
This evening, Nicky and Scotty have scouts, and my girls have already started making demands for a Girls' Night. All that's been asked of me is to let them eat giant lollipops, go to an ice cream place, build a fort, paint, do water balloons, and learn French.
{Once Upon a Girls' Night}
And after a day of having all of them in my personal space since 6:30 a.m., I can't think of anything else I'd rather do with my night.
Je suis fatigue.
1 comment:
I specifically remember a Monday last summer when Blake was working until past bedtime. Around 7pm, my kids asked if we were going to do Family Home Evening. I about went berserk - IT'S BEEN FAMILY-ALL-FREAKING-DAY-SINCE-7AM!!!
This post makes me perspire - oh man, I can't do it!
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