This morning was our worst yet

I was so not ready to be back in the swing of things. It all started when Ryan climbed into bed with me and kicked me in the head. Yes, he did. He kicked his mother (woman who gave him life) in the head.

Then Andrew crying came in, "Mommy. I need my breakfast RIGHT NOW. My tummy is hungry."

I got up, made breakfast. Seany was very ticked (a week with continental chose your own b-fast has not made coming home easy). Crispy Rice! How dare you, Mother! He wouldn't eat, sit at the table, swallow a gulp of milk, etc.

Alex would not come down. I called him down. He hovered by his door, then disappeared into his black hole. I called him down again. "What I'm busy?" Yes, he did. He actually told me he was 'busy' at 7:30 in the A.M. on a school day.

Is this really my life? Is this what staying home with your kids becomes? It got worse.

Alex finally agreed to get dressed, brushed, washed, etc. Then he ate painfully slow (perhaps to annoy me who was rushing around with diapers, various mismatched shoes, keys, phone, trying to quickly drink my 'relaxing' cup of coffee, etc).

Ryan refused to change diapers, sit of the potty, put shoes on, get in the stroller, etc. "Well, Ryan I don't know what you want, what you want to do..." He just started screaming and shaking his head vigorously and did not stop screaming for ages.

When everyone is difficult, it eats up precious getting ready for school minutes, I kept faking that happy cheerfulness my parenting coach suggested. It didn't work. I eventually switched to drill sergeant when we were five minutes late leaving the house. Finally, we had progress.

Naughty Seany was by then being amazingly angelic (having eaten and drank nothing refused to brush teeth, etc) and already sat and strapped himself into the stroller. I finally just dumped Ryan still screaming at me in stroller seat. And we were off.

Alex had clearly not taken his medication as he would go off to far away fields and comeback. "Alex, after school today, you have boys scouts followed by soccer. Its your last game."

"Mommy, Brock has the most Pokemon cards of every kid in the whole 3rd grade!"

"Did you hear anything I said to you?"

"Mommy, my school pictures are today!"

I actually groaned. He had on a hand-me down faded reversible city soccer jersey from 1997, no order form (as left on kitchen counter during the great screaming fit by Ryan), and if I even hinted his outfit was not the best for school picture day he'd be sad all day.

"Alex run to school, I have to go back and get your order form. Go straight to your class. Do NOT pass Go. Do NOT stop until you get into your classroom. I'll see in 10 minutes."

Understanding I was serious, he gave me the cub scout salute and rannnnnnn.

While, I ran home with Andrew trailing behind me. Threw kids into the car (well, I very quickly strapped everyone into their car seats), grabbed order form and went back to school. I told Alex's teacher that we'd forgotten his meds. She wanted him to have them (he was already bouncing unable to sit around the classroom) but didn't want me to have to come back again. I didn't mind (then). Threw kids back into the car (in same manner as indicated earlier), got home just as a guy working on our house showed up needing to be let in. He decided to comeback in 10 minutes.

Got back to the school, had Alex come to the office. While waiting for Alex, Sean threw a picture frame onto the floor (yes, we now have to replace it), then turned the lights on and off over and over, while Ryan and Andrew ignored me running back and forth across the office. I hate that office -- way too many knickknacks around. I'm sure it looks attractive to people who don't have the destructive duo in tow and aren't constantly worried about affording to replace other people's stuff.

Finally (2 minutes later) Alex appeared, not wanting to take his meds insisting he was fine without them, finally took them anyway and we were out of there.

By far our worst start to a day yet.

Number of tempers lost by children: 6 (1 per kid plus 2 for the angerball who returned in RyGuy)

Numbers of tempers lost by mom: ZERO, I'm actually quite proud of that.

Number of items broken by Sean: 2 -- picture frame (we have to replace), blinds in office (I was able to fix)

Number of times I 'helped' kids sit: estimating here at about 22 ( Seany 4, Screaming Ryan 16, Andrew 2)

Number of hugs issued at 10 AM when all was forgiven: 10 (Andrew needed 8, Seany and Ryan each needed 1)

So how was your morning?