Mommy of Many®

I LOVE this!!!!

Max came home on the 1st day of school and told me about this system in his classroom. His teacher also explained it to me and let me know that Max was already using the “Compliment Card” and the “Breaking News!” forms. In the last couple of days Max has received Compliment Cards from classmates. He’s LOVING this! Even better are the Breaking News! forms, because it enables a kiddo like Max, who has a really tough time NOT speaking his mind the very moment an idea or story pops into his head, to jot down what he has to say and to feel confident that when the teacher or parent who gets the form, has time, they will give it proper attention.

Max’s teacher let me know that he promptly grabbed a stack of each form, to be ready for when he would need them. Today he brought some home so I could utilize this great system at home.

The third form is “Tattling Turtle” and is to be used when a child feels upset about something or is having a problem with someone or something. GREAT! Now, if I can make a zillion copies, wallpaper the walls of my home in them, hand each kiddo a pencil and listen to their closed mouths and scribbling pencils! If only~

Seriously, I love the idea of this program for all kids, not just my super verbal, “I’ve got an idea”, Asperger’s kiddo. I hope he uses the forms at school AND at home and I’m open to my other kiddos using them too!

Here’s to great ideas that bring the hope of a little peace in the home and classroom!

Doing the Dance of the Children and Always Searching for a Better Way~

In my life-long quest to never be late, I am often accused of being anxious about time. This would be true!

When I was growing up, we were late to EVERYTHING. My mom did not and does not think schedules are important and I often heard her say things to the effect of, “I have 9 children…”. Even before I had 9 children of my own, I was determined to be on time or early to everything. I’ve done a fairly good job of making that happen, but in the process, I’ve made my kids hate me in the mornings. I am always budgeting the minutes in each day and dolling them out in a miserly fashion. One of my children has picked up this trait and he watches time to the very minute. I appreciate this!

This morning was the first day of me getting all the kids to all their schools. Until now, the girls have had a morning carpool. They will continue to get rides 2 days a week, but today was all me. Last night I let all the kids know that we needed to leave at 7 on the dot. This morning I woke each of them to, “Good morning. it’s time to get up and get going. We need to leave right at 7.” I probably reminded them of the 7:00 leaving time another 3 times before 7:00 actually got here. Overkill? Yeah, probably, but it’s what I do. So, 7 rolls around, Gabi doesn’t have her shoes on, Max is playing with Legos and Lex is building a marble track. My heart started racing, my tone completely changed and I started hustling everyone through what they still needed to do. We were in the van at 7:06. Completely unacceptable by my OCD standards. I gave them the speech about the importance of being on time and that I gave them ample notice of the morning’s schedule. We drove over to the high school, dropped the girls where they asked and drove away. I looked at the clock-7:14. I started thinking, “Wow! That didn’t take long at all!” (my girls used to go to school 15 miles away from our house and I’d have to drive them to school and then get the other kids to school and myself to work by 8am. I tell you this to give you a lil insight into where my mind was). Then I started driving toward Max’s school. I knew that there were 15 minutes before the earliest time he could be dropped off. I knew it wasn’t going to take me 15 minutes to get there. Hmmm…. So we drove to the school and toured the neighborhood. I announced that we had 10 minutes before Max could be dropped off. Lex piped up, “Mom, if we have 10 minutes then you got mad about nothing this morning”. ~Sigh~ Leave it to the 5 yr old to hand you a bag full of truth. I said, “Yes, I’m sorry. I didn’t know we’d have so much time. I’m sorry I got upset. You all did fine”. Lex replied, “It’s ok. It was just nothing”. I dropped Max off, drove over to the other school, parked, tied Gabi’s shoes, walked Gabi to class, met a mom who’s daughter is in Gabi’s class, walked Lex to class, kissed him goodbye and drove away. All with time to spare.

Live and learn!

Doing the Dance of the Children and Watching the Clock~

What a week! Everyday of this life as M.O.M. keeps me Doing the Dance of the Children, but with the start of school, this week held extra Dancing. The first day of school went as smoothly as we could expect when living in an area for only a week and juggling 2 elementary schools that are on the same bell schedule. I got Tristan, Gabi and Lex to their school and Max and I waited outside the classroom with Lex until the teacher came out. All the other parents were full of a mix of emotions. You could see the pride, excitement and that twinge of sadness as their lil ones headed to the line for their first day of being a “big” kindergartener. Me? Well I was anxious for her to hurry up and open the dang door already so I could get Max over to his school on HIS 1st day and not have him be late. Yes, I took pictures, hugged my lil guy and told him what a great time he was going to have, but I was toe-tapping for the moment I could dash out of there. Sure enough, I got Max to his school and everyone was already seated at their desks. ~Sigh~ His teacher knows that I’m single-parenting and juggling 2 elementary schools, so she’s forgiving. Thank goodness!

1st Day 2011-Lex Kinder, Gabi 1st, Max 3rd, Tristan 6th

Lex on his 1st day of Kinder. My lil guy’s a big boy!

Gabi on her 1st day of 1st grade. Beauty!

Lex in front of his classroom, pointing to his name

I have to add that Max is also very forgiving. I was worried when I had to tell him that he was going to be in a separate school from his siblings. But I think the key to having him be ok is giving him as much information as possible and presenting it in a positive way. His teacher seems GREAT! She called me after the 1st day to give me a rundown on how Max did and what she observed. We discussed his particular needs, strengths and challenges. She seems compassionate to his needs and determined to help him have a successful year. I couldn’t ask for more. So far, he seems happy. He has expressed that he wishes he knew more kids, but I know that will come. There have only been 3 days of school, these things take time!

The other kids seem ok too. Lex is happy with his teacher and class. He’s a really easy-going kid and he plays easily with other kids, so I don’t doubt that he’ll make friends quickly and be a happy kindergartener. Gabi says that kindergarten was harder than 1st grade. We’ll see how she feels in a few weeks, but I do know that the curriculum and expectations were more rigorous at the last school. I have mixed feeling about that. Wait, that’s not the truth. The truth is that I’m sad that I can’t give the kids the level of education they’ve become used to. But I can’t beat myself up over it. Even if we stayed in San Diego and even if I wasn’t getting divorced, that education could no longer be afforded. So I have to accept this change and trust that the kids will be ok. At this time it’s all I can do. If things change in the future, I’ll revisit the subject.

That brings me to the 2nd day of school. THAT was a juggling act! I had to leave the night of the 1st day of school so that I could be in San Diego for our settlement hearing the next day. We had come to an agreement the night before, but the trip still had to be taken because papers had to be signed and an appearance still had to be made. I chose to live in this area for many reasons. I didn’t choose this lightly. I weighed cost of living, schools and the fact that I would have a ready-made support system of friends and family in place. That support system proved itself this week! My sister came to stay with the kids overnight and then got them to school the next day. Then my friend, Jen (who has been more than any friend could be expected to be over these last 6 weeks) came to do the pick ups. Once the older girls were home from school (btw-we’ve been plugged into a carpool by a great group of ladies who have stepped up to help me have a little time to get settled. A friend from high school happens to have a high schooler at my girls’ school AND lives in my new neighborhood. She got us set up with a carpool and also walked baked goods over…YES! THAT is Good Stuff!), they took over for the evening and I flew back in late that night. Whew! Doing the Dance for sure!

While I was in San Diego I managed to see several people, get all the important paperwork done, appear in court, run errands and meet up at Costa Brava with friends before heading to the airport. Have I ever mentioned how much I love Costa Brava? No? It was great to pop in for a little while, enjoy some tapas, sangria and wine and be treated to a round of creme brulee shots and my favorite dessert…I’d tell you what it is, but I have NO idea how to spell it. It’s vanilla ice cream with a burnt top, like creme brulee and it sits on a bed of sliced strawberries. YUM! That restaurant is so warm and welcoming! It always feels like a home away from home and the food is Mmmmm! So good! If you haven’t gone, you should!

Great ladies and our round of creme brulee shots

Enjoying that dessert!

I got home late, picked up the house (it’s amazing what 6 kids can do to a place when left alone for the after-school/dinner/bedtime hours) set my alarm for 4:15 and went to bed.

The kiddos were happy to wake up and find me there and ready to get the routine rolling. I made lunches, signed papers and heard all about the girls’ high school classes. Then it was off to school and time for this M.O.M. to tackle more of this house. The kids headed off for a weekend camping trip with their dad and my brother and I tried to get my head around what tasks I should complete while I have no little ones demanding my attention. But first, I went and played Bunco! I’ve been invited to join a group and was happy to get into something social. In the last 2 years, I had really pulled away from all the social activities I was used to being a part of. I’m enjoying jumping in again!

Everything is coming along nicely. We’re settling in and I’m hoping it all starts to feel homey and “regular” soon. I’m EVER grateful to all the wonderful people who have made this transition as smooth as possible. I truly couldn’t ask for better people in my life.

So, I’ve stocked the kitchen, unpacked more boxes, hung more decor and am preparing for a load of dirty, stinky, tired kiddos to arrive at sometime tomorrow. It’ll be my job to clean them up, wash the dirty clothes and convince them to go to bed to be ready for school on Monday morning. Wish me luck!

Doing the Dance of the Children and Grateful For The Music~

Normally the night before the 1st day of school is full of nervous butterflies, back packs lined up, clothes folded and waiting at the end of the bed, etc. Not this one! The day’s been so full and at 10pm we are just finally home from soccer, dinner with friends, picking Maddi up from her flight from San Diego and getting soccer carpool home. There are no carefully planned outfits ready and waiting and no new back packs full of new school supplies. Tristan and Gabi will be using their back packs from last year, Lex isn’t allowed to bring one and Max will be needing a new one. The school supply shopping will have to wait until this weekend and I’ll think about the lunches at 4am. Tonight will be used to finish filling out the paperwork that Lex’s teacher sent home with me from our meeting this morning. Yep, I’m going to be THAT mom, you know-the one with the excuses for why my kids won’t be ready until next week. Ugh! There’s really nothing I can do about it.

I took Lex to meet his teacher this morning. She seems like just the right kind of Kindergarten teacher. He felt very at ease and is excited to be in the “Dinosaur” class. It seems that the schools around here assign animals to the classrooms. I don’t know what Gabi or Tristan will be, but Max (who’s at a separate elementary school from the other 3 kids ) will be a “Gator”. He and I went to his school and met with his teacher today. She was really great. I gave her a quick overview of Max, who he is and what to expect of and from him. She gave me a hug and told me she promised to love him. A strange, but welcome response. I do think it’s going to be ok. I really do. Why think of it any other way? I did everything I could to get everyone in the same school and no matter what, Max ended up elsewhere. I have to decide that this is a piece in the Big Puzzle of Our Lives that I just don’t have the picture on the box for. So…tomorrow morning the Dance of the Children will, once again, be done with a wake up time of 4am, a crock pot meal prepared, lunches lined up on the counter and dashing out the door around 7am. No problem! We’ve got this!

Now to digest the fact that my baby, my last lil guy, is off to Kindergarten. He’s totally ready and I can’t really say I’m not. It’s so good for him to be in the structured environment of school and here, as opposed to San Diego, Kindergarten is 1/2 day. He’ll go till noon until after Thanksgiving. Then they modify the day and he’ll get out at 1:20. It’s going to make for a year of juggling and Dancing, but again…I got it!

Now to spread out all this paperwork and get it done!

Doing the Dance of the Children~

Normal-it’s what we all strive for. It’s what we’re “supposed” to be. It’s all the people around us-or so we perceive. Normal is what my kids said today’s lunches were, because I included cheese puffs (never mind that they were wheat free, gluten free, contain no corn syrup or msg) and trail mix.

Normal-we all think it’s pretty important.

Well, it’s what I’m needing to let go of. I chuckle at myself for even saying that because, really, when have I EVER been “normal”? I’m the oldest of 9 children, I was a single, teen mom and have gone on to have a grand total of 9 children of my own. None of that fits society’s views of “normal”.

But surely my kids are normal. They’re all good-looking, read just fine, present themselves in a “normal” fashion when out-and-about, play sports and go to private schools where, if anything, everyone is normal or above normal. Geesh! Normal is certainly what my kids are.

Yeah right! As I’m being forced into clearer vision and thinking, I realize that my kids have always been slightly outside the societal norm. My oldest has chosen to pursue all of her higher education in faith-based schools-certainly not the norm for most. My oldest son struggled mightily with what “normal” was supposed to be. He always had strong ideas on what was right and what was wrong and that you should always be choosing to do what was right. I look back, with a heavy heart when I think of a note he wrote in 6th grade, telling his father and I that he was grateful for the Catholic education he was receiving, but that he was really having a very hard time with not having any friends. We encouraged him and pushed him through. He struggled with grades because of poor handwriting and downward-spiraling self esteem. He became angry and aggressive. And then God stepped in and introduced us to the right environment and peer group for him and within a few months he became happy, full of life and by all means, “normal” once again. Hmmm, environment changed everything. Changing our perception of where he “should” be or what sports he “should” be playing and trusting that we couldn’t provide all the answers, changed his whole life.

I could go on down the line, describing each of my children and the ways in which I perceive them as “normal” and the ways in which they are so much more than that. But really, I now need to focus on my 7th child. My 8yr old son.

I look back to bringing him home after his birth and how sensitive he was to all his environmental stimuli. He was coming to a home with 6 older siblings. 6 boisterous, outspoken and noisy siblings and this didn’t work well for him. Every time someone yelled or ran through the house with happy screeches, he would shake and cry. He couldn’t sit in the baby swing. The movement seemed to terrify him. TERRIFY! He only slept if he was directly on me or swaddled in my blanket or clothing (I learned to cover him in things that smelled of me). I asked questions of people I knew who worked in special education or had children with challenges of their own. But little by little we all seemed to develop coping mechanisms. I noticed that he started to become noisy if everything around him was noisy. I learned to tell him to look me in the eye when I was giving him directions and to have him repeat what I’d said. I learned to assign a number to each task and ask him to go through the numbers. I learned that riding a bike was frightening for him but that he could ride a scooter like nobody’s business. I learned that his fine-motor skills were low for his age and we stopped trying to buy shoes with laces. So, we learned to try to make it through each day with a minimum of challenge. But not everyone is his mom and not everyone is so accommodating or patient (I use “patient” loosely when describing myself) and he started to have real challenges in the classroom last year. He couldn’t grasp the concept of getting things done in a certain timeframe. His thoughts on any given subject were too big for the classroom discussions and he just can’t NOT say what’s going through his head. So he became frustrated at not completing things on time and with the fact that he has poor handwriting and he just decided to give up on doing the work all together. He started hiding his work or destroying it. This meant that his grades plummeted and he was put on academic probation. ~sigh~ It was just a downward spiral. Then he started 2nd grade. New teacher, new year. And she worked REALLY REALLY hard with him. We kept our communication open and discussed various ways to help him function within the classroom setting and finally we discussed getting him into counseling so that he could have better tools to draw from to perform successfully. His grades have been up. He’s not hiding work. Both the teacher and I, realized that he is more than capable with any of the work placed before him.  All in all, it’s a better year. But through the open communication between teacher, parent and counselor, it was suggested (strongly) that he be tested for Asperger’s. While I wasn’t totally surprised, I was challenged. I cried for 3 days. Not for myself, but for my child who possibly needed something more, something different and had been pushed through with the hope that he would finally “get it”. I spoke with a couple people and then had the testing scheduled.

We don’t have a full report back yet, but I’ve been given a partial report and he seems to fall, quite solidly, in the spectrum for Asperger’s. Yesterday I was told that according to the tests, he has an IQ of 156 (I placed a link here because until yesterday, I didn’t know what any IQ scores meant and am betting that most people are in the same boat I was) and that it’s suggested that he be placed in a more challenging school environment. This is where I have to fall back on what I learned with my older son (who was never tested for an “disorders” and has no diagnosis of any) about trusting that environment makes all the difference and where I have to let go of “normal”. I want what’s best for each of my kids. But I’m also having a tough time letting go. I will continue to read, research, talk and learn and I will continue to be human and fight my own ideas of “normal”. And, you can bet I’ll be talking about the whole thing as it unfolds.

Doing the Dance of the Children~

March is all about rainbows, the beginning of spring and leprechauns.

Here’s a fun way to review the #’s you’ve already learned.

Give each child a 1/2 Dixie sized cup of Skittles and a paper plate

Have them gently pour the cup out, onto the plate

Have the kids separate the Skittles into piles of each color and then ask them to count one color at a time, moving through the colors of the rainbow. We found that using 1/2 a cup was a good amount because they were familiar with those #’s. Any more than that was confusing for them (we did this 2 days in a row, as with all of our projects, and on day 1 we filled the cups and it didn’t work well). The BEST was when we got to Blue. There are no blue Skittles in a regular pack of Skittles, so it was a great lesson in “0″ and “none”.

We went around the class through each of the colors, charted the kids’ answers and then totaled each child’s Skittles. We then talked about less and more and left the chart up for a couple of days.

Doing the Dance of the Children~

In preschool we get to celebrate everything twice-once for the kiddos who come on M-W-F and again for the kiddos who come on T-Th. So today we got to celebrate St. Patty’s Day a day early and the Leprechauns didn’t disappoint.

Wee footprints were left on the tables and along the floor.

The kiddos brought in their homemade Leprechaun Traps. So cute!

We didn’t catch any leprechauns, but we DID get some tasty treats. We will try again tomorrow!

I can’t! I’m too tired!

I’m not acclimated to the schedule yet and it’s completely draining me.

Overview-

4:15am-wake up, check email, FB, my website and twitter
4:45am-make coffee, switch laundry, think about packing lunches or finishing packing lunches from whatever I laid out last night
5:00am-wake the 3 high schoolers
5:01am-RUN FOR THE SHOWER before one of the girls get to it!
5:30am-wake the 4 “lil” kids, finish lunches, iron clothes, find shoes, make sure kiddos are eating breakfast
6:00am-dry hair, check kiddos uniforms, make sure the lil ones have shoes and socks and aren’t eating the lunches I’ve packed.
6:30am-call the 4 lil ones in to get their hair fixed and make sure they’ve brushed their teeth. Start barking orders; “do you have your back pack?” “is your folder in your back pack?” “Do I need to sign anything?” “Does Luke-Xavier have his shoes on?”
7:00am-everyone loaded, lunches and back packs in hand, pull away from the curb
7:20am-drop high schoolers off
7:40am-arrive at school/work
12:15-leave work w/ Luke-Xavier in tow and hope everything will work out at the Y…finally!
1:50-leave the Y, drive to high school, p/u high schoolers
2:45-p/u the other kids
3:15-snack, chores, homework, errands
4:30-start asking the question;”is your homework done?” “If your homework isn’t done, why are you on the computer?!”
5:30/6ish-Serve dinner
7:30-start bedtime routine; pjs, teeth brushed, prayers, story, drinks of water, covering kiddos up 3x, etc.
8:30-deciding whether to do any of the 3 million things I’ve left undone or call it a wash, set the alarm and go to bed
9:00-wondering why the heck I thought I could do anything or put together a coherent sentence and climb into bed

There you go!

Doing the Dance of the Children and Wishing the Sandman wasn’t Looming~

What a week! We jumped back into the routine on Tuesday with a 1/2 day of school and a pool party afterward. Everyone did a GREAT job of getting up and getting going. Gabi was SUPER excited to put on her uniform and new shoes and become a kindergartner. I was really proud of everyone, all week, for getting going and out the door at 7. We have to leave by 7 so I can get the girls up to the high school and still get the rest of us back to the other school. So far, so good!

Lex-4yr preschool, Max-2nd gr, Gabi-kinder, Tristan-5th gr

I got into the classroom and it quickly felt like we’d only had a long weekend and not a whole summer off. The routine fell together nicely and my brain kicked in to remember each new kiddo’s name and what parents go with what child. I think it’s gonna be a great year! A lot of the kiddos already know each other and everyone’s been happy to sit down and begin their curriculum and art projects.

We began with A and apples and Allie made the most adorable apple cupcakes ever. Which reminded me that I’m going to need to bring my own food and remember to pack my workout gear each day. The big plan is to be packed and ready to go to the Y after work each day. Thursday was the 1st full day, so I packed up and as soon as work was over I grabbed Lex and we went to the Y. He kicked and cried the whole way (literally). I got him checked in (crying and all), I changed, stretched, found out how to use the treadmill and then they came to get me. Ugh! He’d thrown a fit and cried and finally propped himself against the wall and was standing up, asleep, when I got there. So I came home and got 3 rounds of 4 exercises in before it was time to pick up the other kids. Yesterday I packed up and was all ready (to Lex’s dismay) but had to make it to the bank before 2, which meant I couldn’t make the Y. I only have a little sliver of a window of time to get the workout in. I get off at 12:15, have to drive over, check him into the playcare, change, workout and get back to pick him up by 2, when they close the playcare for their break. So by the time I’m there and ready to workout, I have 45 minutes to an hour, which is perfect, but if anything else needs to be done after work, I’m outta luck! So…I try again on Monday.

Look at his, “I don’t wanna do it and I’m so sleepy” attitude

My crock pot has been humming along all week and so far, so good! I’ve got to remember that this whole schedule takes dedication or it all falls apart and kids don’t get their homework done, the uniforms don’t get cleaned and we eat PBnJ for dinner. Trying to pace myself, keep positive and make it happen!

Doing the Dance of the Children and Remembering the Dance Steps~

It’s the night filled with jitters. Remember? The night before you went back to school. You were always wondering which of your friends (or enemies) was going to end up in your class. Your new shoes, backpack, lunch box and school supplies were neatly packed and you could hardly get to sleep.

That’s what we’re going through here. All the kid’s uniforms are put together in their rooms and there was much excitement (and dread) before bedtime. I know Gabi’s going to do great! She’s so excited about starting kindergarten. She’s on the older end of the age curve (she’ll be 6 in October), so I think she’s more “ready” than some of my kids were who started younger. Max is already grumbling and griping and Tristan’s excited to see his friends and be on the other side of the school (5th-8th is on the backside of the school and going to 5th grade makes you a “big kid”). Lex asked to sleep in my bed and went right to sleep. I think he can take it or leave it, but will enjoy being back in a structured environment.

I have things laid out on the kitchen counter and a list of what I need to do when I wake up. My clothes are also laid out and I think I’m ready. Until we get into the groove of the routine, I’m going to need to get things laid out each night.

I started my last day of summer with a great workout at the 6am Kraze Boot Camps class. I honestly think this helped me from getting too stressed out about all that needed to happen today. One of the things I’ve seen CLEARLY about myself, since beginning to workout, is that my stress level stays much lower if I get a good workout in. And since my life is pretty stress-filled, I am going to have to stay organized and make sure I get my workouts in. Life will be much easier for me and everyone around me if I make it a priority!

Now, to take my vitamin, drink some water, walk through the house turning off lights and get to bed.

Good night Summer. You were much too short. Tomorrow I begin Doing the Dance of the Children with the added Dance steps of school and work. Music please~

2 weeks ago my second session of Kraze Boot Camps ended. In that time, my 3 high school age girls started back to school and my morning schedule no longer allowed for me to make it to the classes. The days have been filled with running back and forth to the school, entertaining the 4 younger kiddos, (who are still on summer break) getting all the school shopping done for those 4 and trying to get this house in order in preparation for me to start back to work on Tuesday. This means I’ve worked out exactly twice in those 2 weeks. Ugh! Have I ever felt the difference! My energy is down and my fuse is short.

Being able to see the drastic difference in how I feel has made me commit to getting to the gym, each day when I get off work and before I have to pick all the kiddos up from school. I’m honestly shocked at the difference those daily work outs were making in my attitude and my energy. But tomorrow I don’t have to go to the gym and put any sort of work out together for myself because Boot Camp is not taking the day off and no school means I can get myself over to the 6 am class and start the day and week off right!

I’m ridiculously excited!

Let’s see how taking 2 weeks off actually feels once I’m there. Yikes!

Here’s to starting Monday off right!

Two nights ago I got up around 2am and wrote a 20-item list of things that MUST GET DONE. I had to get it out of my head and onto paper so I could get some sleep.  Since then I’ve been chipping away at the list, crossing off items to try to feel accomplished. But I still feel like I’m spinning my wheels and could really use a clone of myself! I know it can’t all get done in the next couple of days, but I’m working at it.

So, the rooms are being cleaned and organized so that I don’t have to hear, “I can’t find my shoes” or “I don’t have any underwear”. The things that are too small or too worn out are being bagged up and sent away so I don’t have to hear myself saying, “go back to your room and change those…” (fill in the blank), every morning. It’s best to just eliminate as many potential issues as possible.

~sigh~

But I’m worn out!

So it’s off to bed for M.O.M. I’ll tackle a few more items tomorrow in the hope that I’ll start the new school year off, feeling “ready”.

You can wish me luck on that~

I don’t know who fed my kiddos naughty pills but the 3 youngest have been on fire the last few days. I guess it means that summer is over and they’re ready for the structure of school, but I’m not sure they’ll make it to next Tuesday at this rate. By 9am they had each stood in the corner and by 2pm I was so done that I put the 7yr old, 5yr old and 4yr old down for naps, closed and locked my bedroom door and told my 11yr old that I was NOT TO BE DISTURBED until I came out. I tell ya, I was ready to hunt scalps!

Whew!

If this keeps up I just may disappear for the long weekend and leave them in the care of their father. That’ll teach ‘em!

But now the house is quiet. The older girls are doing their “big kid” stuff for the evening and the lils are all in bed. I’ve had a glass o’ vino and am ready to get some of my own things done. I think I’ll make it till tomorrow. But watch out all you naughty lil kiddos! M.O.M’s patience is wearing thin!

Doing the Dance of the Children and I’m on the look out for the Naughty Ones~

Summer…over! Where’d it go?

Between summer school, trips and guests, it flew by! I still want it! I’m not really ready for the whole school routine. Guess I better GET ready, because when I wake up it’ll be staring me in the face-wake up at 4, pack lunches, listen to 3 girls bicker over the 2 showers, fight for my own shower time, make sure everyone eats something-even if it can’t be considered breakfast, load everyone into the van, fight the morning traffic, drive 15 miles and fight the traffic back. Yea!

I can’t say it hasn’t been a good summer. It’s been different from what I’m used to, but it’s been good. We’re all a lot tanner and there’s a light dusting of sand on the bathroom and laundry room floors, so we obviously enjoyed the beach and parks. Can’t complain there!

Ok summer, I’ll say good bye. But only because I know that in a blink of an eye, you’ll be back~

Here we go!

Today is Freshman orientation. The girls had to show up to school in their “Dress Day” uniforms at 8 am for yearbook pics & spending the day on campus to get acclimated to the campus and their schedules. It jogged my memory of what the school year schedule is like. Starting next Monday, the 3 girls will be back in school and we will be leaving the house at 7 each morning to fight the morning traffic, drive the 15 miles to the HS and then get back home to get the day going for everyone else. But that’s just the beginning-once the other kids start (Sept. 7th) I’m going to have to have 8 lunches packed, 7 kiddos dressed, homework in hand, dinner in the crock pot, myself dressed & ready and EVERYONE out the door by 7. I’ll get off at 12:15, take Lex with me to the gym, get a workout in (I’m pushing for this!), pick the kiddos up from school & begin the afternoon/evening of sports, homework, dinner, writing and the bedtime routine.

Yep-I’m trying to savor the last fleeting days of my semi-hectic summer before it gets turned up to full speed. Yikes!

So, I better get to the shower, clean this house, keep the kiddos entertained, work on the paperwork and try to remember that these are the easy times

Doing the Dance of the Children and easing back into the routine~