Lord, Have Mercy

Seriously. I'm asking for mercy.

I was planning on starting school next week, after Labor Day. Paul returned to his teaching job today, so I thought we'd take this week to settle ourselves in, get ourselves back to "normal," and then start with lessons after we'd all adjusted.

Then Ms. Boo B.E.G.G.E.D. to do some lessons today.

Where is my child, and what is this new one doing in my house?

I didn't want to put her off, since the desire was obviously there.

So I took all three of the kids and sat them at the table. We got out our bins and each of them loaded theirs with their books and their pencils and whatever else they needed for "school." I laid down the rules for "table time," which is what we are calling it... it's optional for Mr. Bug (4) and Ms. Bao (2.) Obviously for Ms. Boo (6), this is not the case.

Things went well. At first.

I did Ms. Boo's first math lesson. Mr. Bug joined in for a while. Even Ms. Bao tried to sing the math song along with us. But then, Bug decided he liked Ms. Bao's tiles better, and joined in with her to play (after I had to disrupt the fight that ensued because, hello, two-year-olds aren't exactly excited about sharing.)

When the math lesson was over, Ms. Boo wanted to play with the tiles too. The end result was not pretty. I don't really want Boo and Bug to just play with the educational manipulatives, but that is about all Bao can do, and when she does, they want to also. So, somewhere along the way, I am going to have to get them used to the idea of using the manipulatives only when mom is giving instructions with them.

Then I tried to make lunch and I burned the grilled cheese.

And forgot to put the cheese in.

So, basically, I employed the most labor-intensive method possible for making toast.

And if you are alarmed by the fact that the authorities within the state of Ohio are entrusting a complete air-head with the education of her three young children, let me reassure you:

They allowed me to teach everybody else's kids too.

In the mean time, the house is completely trashed. The kids' room, which we repainted several weeks ago, needs trim, a closet door, and a regular door (all waiting in the garage for their paint and saws and nails and such.) And the closet needs to be rearranged to hold all of their stuff.

In fact, every closet door in our house needs to be replaced. And we need a new front door too. These are also waiting for us in the garage. (Say a prayer for us, people.) Don't even get me started about the fan in the family room that STILL needs to be replaced.

And the homeschooling area that needs to be completely overhauled.

And the spare room that is now filled with all the stuff we moved OUT of the kids' room (all three of them are now in the same room... don't ask me how this happened, it just did) needs to be packed up, trashed, or relocated.

There really is stuff everywhere, and it sorta feels like I can't even put things away.

And, strangely enough, the laundry and dishes just seem to keep reproducing.

So, what I am telling you is, I might not be blogging again until next summer.

School has started, and I am already behind!