Someone, PLEASE, explain the math.
So Kaleb’s home for summer vacation. He’s my oldest. He’s six years old. And he's causing chaos.
Pre-summer vacation, the three of us (Leah, Zack, and I) had gotten into a comfortable groove. For the three hours Kaleb was at kindergarten we would quietly tinker around the house, and I would actually accomplish something while Leah and Zack played together. I found that I could easily clean the living room, dining room, and main floor bath without incident (miraculous, really). Then, after lunch, Leah and Zack would go down for naps while Kaleb did his homework, chores, read with me, and played with friends. Except for the two hours before dinner, and the three following (how daylight savings plagues me), the three of my children weren’t together much (this occurs to me now, like an epiphany). And for some strange reason, they enjoyed those few hours together more than they do the countless hours they spend together now. Apparently, we’ve reached a threshold.
Now that they are together all day, everyday day, they either seem to be fighting or scheming (which generally results in the removal of the shower hose to spray the entire bathroom floor, and a little of the hallway). To sum it all up? I referee my day away. Here are just a few phrases you’d catch me repeating these days:
*Don’t hit/kick/bite/scratch/pinch/touch/look at/spit at/tease your brother/sister.
*Sit on timeout.
*Don’t talk to your brother/sister that way.
*Go apologize to your sister/brother.
*Give that back to him/her.
*Do you want to go to your room?
*Come here.
*Come here!
*Come here!!!
*Why can't we just all get along?
I don’t accomplish nearly as much as I used to. But let's be honest, in the grand scheme of housekeeping, it wasn't much anyway. In the grand scheme of mothering, it seemed less disjointed and more meaningful. So lately my days are filled with attempts to help my children play nice so we can enjoy the summer. So they can enjoy each other.
And the rest of my day? It’s spent counting to ten and taking deeeeep, cleeeeeansing breaths. Oh, and blogging. I blog a lot too.
Join the fun! The Parent Blogger Network and Light Iris are teaming together to award one lucky blogger with a free, 2-day pass to Blogher’s 2007 Conference in Chicago. Write your own post on “Where Does My Time Go?” and submit it today. Good luck to everyone!!
7 comments:
Oh boy... we're not quite to summer vacation (a week and a half to go) but I am oh-so-nervous...! Enjoyed your post. Here via PBN Blog Blast.
Absolutely Bananas
I'm so glad I found your site through Like a Star! This was a great post... sounds a lot like my house when I was a kid as the youngest of 4!
What a nice prize the winner of this contest gets! Good luck to you!
Jane, Pinks & Blues Girls
summer vacations are the hardest on parents. kids sure need to be entertained. I know mine does.
So true about kids needing to be entertained. This post was partially inspired by a rainy week (3 full days) which has kept said children indoors, which doesn't help matters any. But now it's sunny so we're going on a bike ride. :)
Where does the time go. I find with the opposite problem, I am counting the days until my kindergartener is out for summer. My 4 year old spends the time while my oldest is at school nipping at my heels to play games(it is his favorite pastime). It never ends with just one either, we have to play uno over and over. Then sequence for kids etc. I feel guilty if I don't take the time to be with him while my youngest sleeps, but I feel guilty when I look around my house and it looks like those gals houses I used to go to when I had only one child and think to myself, "my house will never look like this"(messy). My 2 oldest are each others best friends and so I will be glad when Kate is out of school and they can play while Joel sleeps, and while I scrub feeling no guilt whatsoever!!!!!
GustoGirl,
That's one reason it's great to have kids close together (and it seems to get easier the older they get). Leah and Zack actually play nicely together when they're alone. For some reason my kids have a tougher time playing nice when they're all together. Pair any of them up, and they're fine.
Love your post...I guess this is what I have to look forward to.
Maybe I'll put my kids in a year-round school!
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