One More Week

I'll be honest. I am a little envious of all you moms that are "so sad" that your kids are going back to school already. I understand that you are "not ready" and that you "can't believe it went so fast".

But another part of me wants you to shove it.

Because wanting my kids to go back to school doesn't make me a bad mom, and I shouldn't have to feel like one because I am not devastated at the loss of my children.

Let me tell you about the last weeks of summer vacation in the Avery household.

We can no longer do ANYTHING together. Because Timothy gets so irritated with Alyson that he tries to physically hurt her. He pulls out her hair, he punches her, he sits on her, he tries to bend her fingers back.

I do not sleep well at night or dare turn my back on them during the day because he could do some serious damage before I have a chance to respond to her screams. (This is especially difficult because I work from home)

Bryon. My sweet, sweet Bryon turns into a sad lunatic. My darling Bryon that screams and cries for hours and hours and has to be dragged out of bed each day or else he would just lay there until school started.

I don't have kids that I can take to a water park by myself.
My kids don't quietly browse the library or even read quietly/independently at home.
They don't sit through movies.
They don't go out to lunch because no one can agree on anything and Bryon doesn't chew.
If we go somewhere that Timothy doesn't want to go, I can't count on him to just quietly sulk about it as I drag him along. He will try to run away. He will think that he can just walk home because he is a "big kid." He takes off and the store has to seal off the entrance until he can be found.

Now, yes, I have some help with my boys. But some help does not equal 24/7 care. It's about 4 hours a day.

So, no. Summer is not happy and lazy where we have a million adventures. Summer is World War III. I tried to be Switzerland. They wouldn't let me. What am I? The UN? America? Whatever. If wars had referees, that's what I would be.

School starts Thursday. 115 hours. Not that I am counting.