It's Chaos as Usual

Today marked the first day back to our daily routine. Back to school, but only for 3 days this week. It would make for a great time to get back to an organized, structured, calm school time with each lesson receiving our undivided attention, each lesson plan completed in full, and each worksheet being explained, completed, checked, and corrected on-time.

And then Reality called and roared with laughter at my silly plans.

So we started the day with L spending an hour and a half crying because I asked her to get dressed. Oh, the horror! While L was having her nuclear meltdown, I got K organized and started on her work. I finally got L calmed down, put her Barbies in toy jail as punishment, got her dressed for her dance class, got K's work and some of my own packed up, and whisked them both out the door.

Only to discover that it's freezing outside and we're in light jackets. In the interest of time, I figure what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger, and we take off. Yes, I am the mean mother who makes her other kid sit on the floor at the dance studio and do her work, and I even get K's phonics lesson in while L is doing her class. (Who says "homeschool" has to take place at home?) When L finished, I noticed her arms and hands are freezing since she only owns the one sleeveless leotard, so we stop by McD and Target on the way home for a long-sleeved leotard.

We get back home where I make the kids put on warmer clothes and sit them down yet again to finish school. L finishes her work quickly then devotes herself to doing whatever it takes to annoy her older sister. Older sister decides that *everything* L does annoys her, so it was an...interesting...afternoon and they both got sent to bed early.

Will tomorrow be any better? Nope, we've got just a couple of hours first thing in the morning to squeeze in a little school, then we go from 2 little girls to 4 little girls due to some emergency childcare needs. We keep them until it's time to load everyone up to head over to spend the afternoon at girl scouts. And the day is gone.

So we're back in full swing over here at Valerie at Home. Valerie at Dance. Valerie at the Store. Valerie at Girl Scouts. Valerie at Crazy. Yep, just plain crazy.