Wednesday, April 7, 2010

back to the grind

I don't really want to be up at 6:13, writing in the dark. Although I just had a horrendous dream about kids stabbing themselves and then calmly walking into a fireplace to die. That image is seared into my brain and will be with me for days. But back to the early morning solitude. Today is back to school after a week and a half of spring break and Iz needs to get up early to finish her homework.

When does it stop being my fault when things don't get done?

I don't feel it as strongly as I usually do. She's in 6th grade and should have been more on top of things than she was. We made time for homework in Florida but I never should have come home with it not completely done, for both kids. They "convinced" me though, that yesterday would be a relaxing day with plenty of time to get it all done.

Not even close.

Homework work didn't start until 2 in the afternoon. That was after plenty of time crocheting arigurumi (Iz and I are making very cute owls), watching TV, playing on computers. Maybe work went on for an hour, hour and a half and then there was a break while I went to yoga and they caught up on Sponge Bob and Project Runway. When I got back at 5:45 (after confronting the H&R accountant who was a no show for our meeting yesterday morning and then charged me twice what he had estimated for doing our taxes), things got back on track but it was not pretty.

Jon and Jack went out at 7, to ripstick in Washington Square Park. Iz, by that point, was so fried and frazzled she was beyond work. So, both of us near tears we headed out too. It was a lovely night, lovely in terms of weather, stressful in terms of both of them needing to be the center of Jon's attention. After 6 days of reasonably delightful children, the bickering and battling was too much. Not to mention knowing there was still hours of work to be done.

Which, she did. But didn't finish. She and Jon holed up in my room working on Spanish and math, both things I couldn't help with. My job? To get her up at 6:30 and then get her to school, by 8, for early morning extra help.

Then I have to rush right back to get Jack up and out. Then there's the middle school planner meeting right after.

Sigh.

Today is off to a rocky start.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Enjoyed your post! My kids are 20 and 23, and I still feel like it's somehow my responsibility to keep their lives on track every day... Although they would do just fine on their own. (I think...)
I like the concept of a spiritual pedicure!!!