Spinning my wheels

Some days it just seems as if I run around in circles and achieve absolutely nothing. I actually cleared off my sideboard the other day and was so proud - today it's stacked with kids stuff again. Sigh....... Just not sure what the point of cleaning is beyond the main areas that need to be cleaned for health reasons - bathrooms and the kitchen. Really other then that - what's the deal about a little dust, or stacks of papers, or piles of laundry. We sure like to beat ourselves up over that though, don't we?

I once heard a quote by a mom who was complaining about her torn up lawn due to her four sons who were constantly running around, playing ball etc. Her husband looked at her and said - in 20 years we'll grow a lawn, right now we're growing our sons. Nicely said.

However, in this marathon type of parenting we've got going on - 29 years down, another 12 just to get the last one to 18 - we will be far too exhausted and could possibly be incapable of keeping a nice tidy little house. So be it - I will make peace with the dust and try to enjoy the people who create it.

A week of single parenting

Mark left for a visit to his family - especially his parents - in MI this week. He left Sun. AM and I took the kids to church by myself. Perhaps not the best idea I've ever had, but we made it and then Ella and Jacob spent the afternoon with friends which made the afternoon less busy.

Mon. morning I got up 15 min. earlier then when Mark is here and had done a little extra prep the night before so it went very smoothly. My neighbor Stacey also volunteered to walk the kids to the bus stop every morning which is awesome as well.

During the day I get an e-mail that Jacob has had an incident at school. A classmate pushed him into his locker and then he pushed back and bit him. The spec. ed. teacher felt bad about it and didn't seem to think his reaction was too uncalled for. After I found out which other student was involved, I remembered this child had told Jacob he didn't like brown - which Jacob took as a racial comment. I guess for now we continue to discuss with Jacob and if there are more incidents we may have to raise the possibility of his aggression being racially motivated - this is Kindergarten for crying out loud.

So - I reminded myself that it is a full moon - always a rise of behavioral issues at our house then. When everyone got home I had Jonathan and one of our PCA's Kara on board to help out till bedtime. The three of us weren't enough. Everyone save Ella and Shannon were just basically out of their minds. There was throwing, hitting, screaming, spitting, "I hate you Mom!" - "You're not the mom I wanted!" and on and on. It was pretty ugly.

Dinnertime was absolute chaos and I found myself shouting, while maintaining some humor - God can't possibly think I could do this on my own and will bring Mark home safely! Bedtime couldn't come fast enough.

I looked at Ella at one point who was trying to stay above it all and suggested she and Shannie stay to themselves and work on her Pet Shop sticker books - which she wisely did.

Well, we survived and last night was easier - Callie was out of the house at Julie's - which definitely took it down a notch. So, tonight Ella and I have a dinner date with a couple friends and then will deliver the food donations from church for a homeless shelter that houses moms and their kids. Grandbaby Kaia will join us as Melissa and Curtis were in a bind for childcare, but that should be fun.

I will anxiously be awaiting my partner in crime tomorrow evening and fervently praying for his safe return.