How DO I do it??

Having  a large family often poses opportunities for people to ask me "how do you do it??"  Most the time I just smile and say "day by day".  Well this week has been a duzie.  I don't know if I'm just getting old or weak or a just plain quitter.  I have never loved the last month of school, but it's getting worse every year.  I guess it's possible that it could in part be due to the fact that I have more children in school every year.  So in this ONE precise situation I truly envy parents of only children.

I came  home from a very wonderful and relaxing cruise to day after day filled with "mom I need...".  So my very first day back I spent the day trying to unpack and get 4 boys their physicals that they needed by last Saturday to go to Scout Camp.  Do you have any idea how much paperwork that is??  Or $$?  I also made a Costco trip and a trip to Walmart to pick up all the stuff on the "packing list" we didn't have.  I made it home just in time to tuck the rest of the family into bed.  If dinner was had, I know not.

Wednesday I did more laundry, had to take Whitley back and forth to work because her car was down and made yet another stop at Walmart to get the cupcakes and ice cream I was supposed to bring to the track banquet that night. Yes, Brooklyn called to let me know about that right as I pulled in the driveway the night before. Bo also called to let me know he had forgotten his lunch.  Our friend had also missed the bus so we made an extra trip to the school to get her there.   After picking up Katy from school, I decided she and I would have a little girl time and go to lunch.  While eating, she mentions something about her graduation that night.  I inform her it's tomorrow night.  She argues and says her teacher said TONIGHT.  I told her her teacher misspoke.  It's right here in my phone as Thursday.  She continued to tell me I was wrong so I sorted through the "trash" folder in my email to prove to her it was not tonight.  Welp, she was right.  Right there in the email, tonight.  Holy crap.  It's also scheduled at the exact same time as the banquet.  So we rush home to get in some rest and hopefully a shower.  Just as I'm pulling in, Whitley calls and asks me to come and get her.  I was just right there 10 min ago!!!  So in a selfish rage, I sent Nick to go pick her up.  We made it to the graduation, took a few pics and literally grabbed her after walking across the stage and b-lined it to the awards banquet. (where I had dropped my kids off 40 min early because I had no other option).  They were just getting started, whew.  Thirty minutes later we were eating ice cream and cupcakes, taking more pictures and rushing the kids to mutual.  I then made a special trip all alone to meet my dealer, Circle K.  I have had more Diet Coke in the last week than ever I can remember.  With about 45 minutes to spare before all the kids returned I decided to abandon all hope of being productive at home and crawl into my bed and read.  No such luck.  Apparently Katy was in the mood to read as well so she hopped in my bed and proceeded to read me two very entertaining Pinkalicious books.  Kids come home, chaos for 30 minutes and again the house is quiet.

Stephen and Whitley had gone to the graduation that night and were going to a party after.  I woke up about 12:40 to find them still not home.  Grr.. Now I'm wide awake and they are not answering.  About 1 am they walk in like nothing, say good night and leave me there wishing I was sleeping.  Thanks guys.

Thursday was no less exciting.  It's supposed to be our movie day, but Nick and I were the only ones home. My house is a wreck!!  I have paperwork and laundry stacked up with letters still to write for 5 of my children heading off to camp in a few days.  Going to a movie is not the smartest choice at this point, but no one ever said I was smart.  Off we went.  More Diet Coke and popcorn.  Today was Katy's last day but Whitley was on pick up duty since I so smartly went to the movies.  She texted me and told me they had come home because Whit didn't feel well.  Ok, sweet, no big hurry to go get her.  Nick and I had to make a stop at the bank and that's when I got the call from Rhett to please bring him money to buy a yearbook.  Oy, so off to the school we go.  By now it's 12:30 and Rhett is asking to please come home with us.  Since school is such a joke that last week, I agreed as long as he did a chore.  Once home, I was heading straight for my bed.  Tired.  So tired.  What do I find, Whitley and Katy sound asleep in MY bed.  So my option now is to wake them, or try to squiggle in on Glade's side where the sheets are always untucked and his pillows are smushy.  I did my best and as I did, Katy moved over right against me leaving my hanging off the side of the bed.  I'm sure this will be an awesome nap.

I did finally get up and get my paperwork done and made a delicious meal of hot dogs and tater tots.  Hey, they got fed.  Then off we headed to play practice.  As we were walking out the door, Glade called to let us know we were irrigating in 5 min.  Well, we're leaving and both Stephen and Nick are already at work.  Sorry.  Lucky for us we have a great irrigation guy who did it for us. While piling in the car we notice 5 chicken loose so we all jump out to round them up.  That's when I notice Bo has not fed them or gathered eggs like I had asked him to 43 times.  Not a good moment for me.  Play practice was crazy, disorganized and I have no idea if anything was actually accomplished.  All night Katy was saying that her tummy hurt.  On the way home she mentions that she never ate dinner.  Apparently she didn't know there were hot dogs and everyone ate her tater tots.  Great reason to go through McDonalds drive thru for a cheese burger and 8 cones.

Last day of school!!  Still I plow through the demands of the day.  Both Bo and Dalin made the talent show, which started at 8:30.  That would have been fun except Brooklyn's 8th grade graduation was at 9.  So we went and watched the talent show and right after Dalin performed,  zoomed over to the high school for Brooklyn.  I say we, meaning Me, Whitley, Stephen, Nick, Katy and my Mom.  You think I'm going to suffer alone??  After an hour of talks and clapping and pictures, the kids went home and mom and I went back to the grade school for the second round of talent show.  They both did great.  Dalin asked if he could just go home, so of course I said yes.  We took him home, then mom and I went to lunch.  Two and a half hours of just Mom time.  Much needed respite from my world.  I got my nails done, took Nick to work, picked up pizza and went home to start the bribing.  My house is in an indescribable state.  We haven't touched it in days.  DAYS.  So I set the pizza boxes on the counter and stated "not one bite will be taken until this house looks like a home again".  Amazing how fast things get done with the smell of pepperoni wafting in the air.  I might care or have some anxiety about all the things that didn't get done, but there's always next week.  And the one after that... it's summer after all. Ü

I was going to make a big post about the last weeks of school and all the riduculous things we are asked to do when everyone has checked out, but then I read this lady's blog and it could be better said.  She has nailed my life and my thoughts exactly, totally worth the read.

http://jenhatmaker.com/blog/2013/05/30/worst-end-of-school-year-mom-ever