Some afternoons run smoothly with all the pieces connecting together beautifully.
And then, some days are just manic--like this day, following the weekend.
My morning and afternoon were calm and structured. I folded several loads of laundry, kept the house clean, and finished all my computer work.
Then the kids came home.
My oldest bangs into the house disgruntled and upset. He failed a pop quiz because he forgot to read over the weekend. At this point, he has a 67% because the teacher has only given 3 assignments in this quarter and each assignment is weighted equally. After he settles down from that drama, he starts his homework only to discover he has lost his calculator that he needs for a big Algebra exam the next day. We tear apart the room looking for his calculator with no luck.
I hurry to finish the last few steps of dinner and then fold more laundry. I send the second oldest to get the two little ones of the elementary school bus. They come in busy and cranky. The first grader is having melt downs about homework every night. I decide to put off the trouble until later.
The cranky oldest child has gone to bed because he doesn't feel well. I wake him up to take him to his drivers ed class.
My third son has been home all day with a sore throat and has hardly left his bed.
I come home and feed everyone dinner. I force the first grader to sit with me and I encourage him to finish his assignment as he whines his way through writing three sentences about his weekend.
The toddler starts crying. I try to help her but she runs away. Soon she is playing happily.
Husband calls and says the oldest needs to be picked up from class and that he can't do it because he isn't ready to come home yet. I give him a grocery list.
I pick up the oldest from class. When we get home, I make sure everyone has eaten and that homework is completed. The oldest is still worried, anxious, and disgruntled about the missing calculator. I throw in another load of laundry. During this time, I field numerous calls from my husband about the grocery list.
I'm trying to hurry through folding when my husband pulls up and beeps his horn. We all run outside to help with groceries. My husband discovers that some chocolate is missing from the freezer and starts scolding kids. No one confesses. I call kids upstairs to collect their clean, folded laundry and have them put it away. Most of it gets stuffed inexpertly in drawers. At this point, I don't even argue. We've got bigger fish to fry.
I collect kids from all corners of the house while my husband sits down to eat some salad and breadsticks. I talk to the kids about the missing calculator. We pray and ask for help and then spend the next hour searching through the house. Meanwhile, the toddler is crying and cranky. She is unable to articulate what she needs and in between searching for the missing calculator, I'm trying to figure out what she wants.
Crankiness starts to soak through the house as everyone is tired and ready for bed. My husband goes down to check on our third son who is now pretty hot with fever. We administer ibuprofen and food.
I direct children to get ready for bed but they get sidetracked by ice cream. Still lots of crying from the toddler, even with the ice cream. Soon, we have everyone cleaned up. The sick boy has been moved upstairs on the couch where he is more accessible to parental help. The toddler has been kissed and cuddled and put to bed in her crib, that she can't yet escape. The disgruntled and frustrated teenager has gone to bed hungry because he is too worked up to eat. The rest of the kids go to bed without ceremony or fuss.
I sit down on the couch beside my sick boy to just chat with him for a minute. The disgruntled teenager comes out of his room wrapped in a fuzzy blanket and sits beside me on the couch. The room is dark and quiet. Soon the three of us calm down and relax.
I'm sure glad I got through that evening!
© 2007-2016 TIFFANY WACASER ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
And then, some days are just manic--like this day, following the weekend.
My morning and afternoon were calm and structured. I folded several loads of laundry, kept the house clean, and finished all my computer work.
Then the kids came home.
My oldest bangs into the house disgruntled and upset. He failed a pop quiz because he forgot to read over the weekend. At this point, he has a 67% because the teacher has only given 3 assignments in this quarter and each assignment is weighted equally. After he settles down from that drama, he starts his homework only to discover he has lost his calculator that he needs for a big Algebra exam the next day. We tear apart the room looking for his calculator with no luck.
I hurry to finish the last few steps of dinner and then fold more laundry. I send the second oldest to get the two little ones of the elementary school bus. They come in busy and cranky. The first grader is having melt downs about homework every night. I decide to put off the trouble until later.
The cranky oldest child has gone to bed because he doesn't feel well. I wake him up to take him to his drivers ed class.
My third son has been home all day with a sore throat and has hardly left his bed.
I come home and feed everyone dinner. I force the first grader to sit with me and I encourage him to finish his assignment as he whines his way through writing three sentences about his weekend.
The toddler starts crying. I try to help her but she runs away. Soon she is playing happily.
Husband calls and says the oldest needs to be picked up from class and that he can't do it because he isn't ready to come home yet. I give him a grocery list.
I pick up the oldest from class. When we get home, I make sure everyone has eaten and that homework is completed. The oldest is still worried, anxious, and disgruntled about the missing calculator. I throw in another load of laundry. During this time, I field numerous calls from my husband about the grocery list.
I'm trying to hurry through folding when my husband pulls up and beeps his horn. We all run outside to help with groceries. My husband discovers that some chocolate is missing from the freezer and starts scolding kids. No one confesses. I call kids upstairs to collect their clean, folded laundry and have them put it away. Most of it gets stuffed inexpertly in drawers. At this point, I don't even argue. We've got bigger fish to fry.
I collect kids from all corners of the house while my husband sits down to eat some salad and breadsticks. I talk to the kids about the missing calculator. We pray and ask for help and then spend the next hour searching through the house. Meanwhile, the toddler is crying and cranky. She is unable to articulate what she needs and in between searching for the missing calculator, I'm trying to figure out what she wants.
Crankiness starts to soak through the house as everyone is tired and ready for bed. My husband goes down to check on our third son who is now pretty hot with fever. We administer ibuprofen and food.
I direct children to get ready for bed but they get sidetracked by ice cream. Still lots of crying from the toddler, even with the ice cream. Soon, we have everyone cleaned up. The sick boy has been moved upstairs on the couch where he is more accessible to parental help. The toddler has been kissed and cuddled and put to bed in her crib, that she can't yet escape. The disgruntled and frustrated teenager has gone to bed hungry because he is too worked up to eat. The rest of the kids go to bed without ceremony or fuss.
I sit down on the couch beside my sick boy to just chat with him for a minute. The disgruntled teenager comes out of his room wrapped in a fuzzy blanket and sits beside me on the couch. The room is dark and quiet. Soon the three of us calm down and relax.
I'm sure glad I got through that evening!
© 2007-2016 TIFFANY WACASER ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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