What My Day Was REALLY Like

Yesterday's post was pure fantasy. Here's how stuff really went down. I spilled  (lukewarm) coffee on myself, when I jumped up to try to keep the cat from coughing up a hairball on my beautiful new area rug. I did score the save. I made 3 different breakfasts for the kids, only one of whom remembered to clear their own plate. Keira found herself in time out before 9 AM. (She woke up at 8.) Ryan and his sister decided to torment each other when Ryan bothered to sit at the table to do his school work.


By 1:00, only Ryan had work left to do (history and literature). We got through the history, and then we all went to get frozen yogurt. All was going well until Luke accused Ryan of spitting on him, and punched his brother in the side. Now, we're out of Menchies and I really need to go to Target for a couple of items. I tell myself I really shouldn't risk it, but, heck, it's right there across the parking lot from where we are. So, I take a deep breath before we slip through the doors. Let's just say I should have known better.


Back at home, Luke has lost computer time, and he is in a nasty mood. He goes outside to water the plants, and, of course, there is now mud. Ryan realizes where Luke is, and suddenly, he is out the door and turning on a second hose. Unwilling and unable to try to stop this, I decide to let it play out. However, when I look outside five minutes later mud has been slung and it's not pretty. Here I thought I was going to have a day off from laundry, and suddenly that's no longer the case. There's Keira happily sitting in a puddle. Luke and Ryan are slathered in mud. As they hose each other off, I tell the boys that today is the day they learn to do a load of laundry. The cries of indignity were almost funny; you'd have thought I had told them they would be doing laundry every day for the rest of their lives. (Hey, I pretty much do that!)


So, dinner is next. Ryan wants grilled cheese, and I have six pieces of bread. I manage to burn one side of each of the three sandwiches, and after I tear off those pieces, I am left with one and a half. I also made hash browns with cheese, cut up a watermelon, and tossed some carrots on their plates. Keira looks at her plate, with a sandwich that is a little "toastier" than she likes it, and says, "Oh, no, no, no; I am not eating that!" She "doesn't like" the hash browns, so she ends up eating watermelon and white cheddar puffs for dinner. Ryan and Luke did fine, except for the fact that both were upset that there was not enough grilled cheese.


Luckily, the time before bed was not too crazy, with the exception of a fruitless search for a specific Barbie doll. Apparently, she walked into the bathroom and hid herself behind the trash can, where I found her after Keira had already gone to bed. 


Looking back, some of the day was funny. I got to spend a good part of it teaching my kids. And today was a happier day than yesterday.

I woke up this morning, and found all three of my children quietly writing in their journals. They had already eaten breakfast, and cleared their cereal bowls from the table. We began our school day with a few poems, and then delved into our coursework. All three were finished with school by noon, without any complaining or bickering. I even finished a short to-do list. 

After lunch and outdoor play time, we jumped in the car and went to get frozen yogurt. Our 30 minutes in Menchies was blissfully uneventful. Next stop, Target, where we managed to by-pass the toy department, and found exactly what we needed without anyone asking for any "extras". As we cruised the aisles, I overheard one harried mom telling her children to "look and see how well those kids are behaving for their mother." My heart swelled with pride.

Upon returning home, the kids played peacefully in the backyard, while I read a book on the patio. They all took showers while I cooked dinner, which everyone ate without complaints, spills, or other such unpleasantness. Later, after bowls of ice cream, we read some books together on the couch. Teeth were brushed without dawdling, and everyone got in bed by 8 without having to be told/nagged. 

It's now just after 9, and I am enjoying peace and quiet, and relaxing after a fun, fulfilling day.

Also, I have grown three heads and my skin is purple.