Can I have a do-over?

This picture of my daughter H tells exactly how I feel today. It's like I have had all four children pile on top of me and simultaneously pull out my hair. I am bummed at the "hair loss" and have a major headache to boot. What's the real problem? Trying to wrangle four kids and a sick mommy back onto a school schedule after two weeks of holiday free time. I absolutely loved the past two weeks of relaxing with no schedules to follow, no assignments to complete, no fighting over how many times spelling words need to be copied or, why we don't paint on bubby's math papers.

Christmas break is seriously my favorite time of year. We all snuggle up watching old Christmas movies, bake and eat way too many cookies, do Christmas crafts, and drive around looking at Christmas lights etc. It's almost magical, but I would like it even more if it wasn't followed by the inevitable go back to school week. That first week back is such a pest. Maybe it's because we want the holiday to last longer, our brains are fried from all the 50's claymation movies or we are still in a sugar cookie coma.

Today consisted of Z taking two hours to copy 20 spelling words, J three hours to get through one Algebra lesson and H was just a lost cause. I couldn't get her anywhere near her desk. It's days like this when I want to walk them across the street to the local public school , plop them into a desk and let the "professionals" deal with them. But who am I kidding. They would probably still goof off and not get much work done, meaning homework would be brought home and I would have to deal with it all anyway. I would miss their goofiness that results in uncontrollable giggles when they are supposed to be reading, the erasers being thrown at each other when they think I'm not looking and the "I'm sorry I'm being a booger mommy" hugs I get when the kids see I'm reaching my breaking point. Maybe it hasn't been such a bad day, just a not very productive one.

I think instead of surprising our local elementary teachers with a couple extra students we may just try again tomorrow, and I will be ready with a bottle of extra strength Tylenol!

Don't be fooled by their sweet and innocent faces!