So far....kids, two...Mom, zip

Well, we are off to a rocky start with the whole summer thing. The score, as it stands right now is...kids 2, Mom, 0.

Yesterday, the first official summer weekday, was also a Monday. I don't know if I have stressed the point enough yet, but Mondays and I do not get along. I've come up with a few reasons why this might be the case:

It could be because it's after-weekend let down...

or the fact that my house is always destroyed over the weekend, and just looking at the mess depresses me and makes me really grumpy....

or maybe it's because we attempt to hold meaningful, even (dare I say it?) enjoyable Family Home Evenings, thereby causing all the powers of hell to fight against me to prevent that from happening....

or a combination of any of the above...

Whatever the reason is, I am usually just glad to have survived to see Tuesday. Most Mondays, that's all I can hope for.

Yesterday was definitely no different. I was excited to begin my new summer schedule, so we got up and I told the kids we were to all finish up breakfast quickly and go get ourselves ready for the day and report back for jobs. I explained that we were going to head to the library after lunch and chores were done and they could all pick some books out for the summer ahead. I was met with lukewarm enthusiasm at best. They were excited about the library, but not the chores. The worst one? pulling weeds. I told them they each had to pull 100 weeds. Our weeds right now are very small and easy to pull out, so this wasn't going to be too difficult (last weekend, I asked them to pick 50 each and they were back in the house in 4 minutes---I figured 100 was OK). Maybe I should have given them a shoebox or something and asked them to fill it with weeds, but then they would argue that so and so was not picking as many weeds as everyone else, blah, blah, blah....

Anyway, the arguing and grumpiness started....

It was only 10:30am on the first day of summer!!!!

So, I sat everyone down on the couch and yelled and yelled and yelled. Yep, I'm a great, patient mother. I had snapped. I couldn't believe how mad I was this early in the game. I told them to knock it off or we would all have a miserable summer. I explained (rather loudly) the plans I had made and that if everyone got along and helped each other with the chores, we would be able to do a lot of fun things. They looked sulky and went away to do their chores. I felt really bad, but had already had enough.

We eventually made it to the library and got some fun books to read. We even went to the store and got our summer workbooks for the kids to do. So, at least, that was a success. The afternoon was crazy with Ballet carpool and t-ball games (we drove over to the field to find out the game had been cancelled--would have been nice to know earlier). My mom called and needed my help before she went to see Jessica for the week, so I left Ryan with the kids for the rest of the night. He said FHE turned out fine (probably because he doesn't let the powers of hell affect him). I went to bed exhausted and disappointed. Kids, one....Mom, zip

Today started out pretty much the same as yesterday. The kids were SO grumpy!!! (or maybe it was me that was grumpy? hmmm) It is really exhausting when they act that way! I really don't know what causes such contention, and twice in a row? I couldn't take it. So, I sat them all down again and, unfortunately, yelled again (yeah, I know that causing more contention is not the best way to end contention). Tuesday is our "Lagoon day", so I gave them all an ultimatum and prayed (I mean, really prayed) that they would get along. It was rocky, but they finally completed their jobs. We got in the car, and I looked to see if I had our parking pass for Lagoon. We didn't....it was in Ryan's car...in Salt Lake. I then told four very sad kids to get out of the car. We would have to try Lagoon tomorrow. They ended up playing well the rest of the day, with only a few minor mishaps (Ethan decided to write on my wall with a marker and I made my arm super sore because I scrubbed out my shower).

I called and complained to my poor husband who listens to me complain a lot. He told me to be more patient and that the kids would get used to the new schedule and not being in school. I have always been a perfectionist...I hate it when things don't go right, and I can't control it. It is a constant lesson I am learning that I just need to realize that perfection is not ever going to happen. Why can't I just enjoy being a mother more than I do? Why can't I just take it easy and go with the flow like other moms I know? Do I want my kids to remember me yelling at them all the time? Of course not, I just forget....I think we all need to chill a little more and just try a little harder.

So, you have by now probably realized that this blog is not like other family blogs that you read where there is nothing but bliss and happiness and cuteness. Nope, this blog can be cute and blissful, but it is also about cold, hard reality. The good and the bad (and hopefully, not too much ugly). I know I definitely have many weaknesses. Maybe blogging about them will help me to improve in those areas. Just don't judge me too harshly.

And now, as I'm writing this, exhausted from the last two days, my sweetheart girls are downstairs in the kitchen, cooking dinner for the family. They are not fighting or being rude to each other, they are working together, being cute, and knowing that their mom has had it and needs a break. How wonderful!!

Tomorrow will be another day, and hopefully it will be a happier one. I'm thinking that if I just chill a little bit, the score will even out eventually. Or, (dare I hope it?) maybe we could all be on the same team.