We are Never Ever going back together! (T-Swift Style)

I hate shopping on the weekends and I never seem to have the energy to go in the "early morning" or "late evening" hours which is why I always make the venture with my kids. But I am quickly learning that just isn't an option anymore. Once again I attempted the "Big Shopping" day with my kiddos... My first mistake was going anywhere besides Walmart. I went to work and Sweet Pea's first, THEN started the shopping adventure. By that point Hayden was cooked. I bought the kids their candy before we got started, knowing full well candy at the beginning of the trip = psychotic kids during the trip, but what do you do? So about 20 minutes into it, the kids were acting like crack babies. Kyleigh and D.J. kept climbing on the cart, and off the cart, on the cart, and off the cart, in front of the cart, behind the cart...doci doe. At one point they actually started wrestling and fell over each other in the middle of the aisle. Landon was calmly eating his M n M's the whole time, Hayden however was having a meltdown. The M n M's were spilled twice, the teddy grahams were crushed on the bottom of the cart and all around Walmart. I got D.J. a pair of shoes and he asked me for them for the next hour and a half...over and over and over. Half way through, I decided we were NOT finishing the shopping trip this morning, and headed to the checkout line. All you know what broke loose. Kyleigh was halving a meltdown because she wanted out of the cart, but she was bouncing all over the place so I made her stay. Then Landon kept laying on her thus leading to an all out brawl in the cart. Hayden's still crying, and D.J. is over banging the money tower for the children with cancer donations. Moreover, the woman in front of me is one of those people that organizes her groceries when putting them on the conveyor belt, you know, bottles with bottles, bags with bags, frozen with frozen. She moved like a turtle on its deathbed. 15 minutes later, I was finally able to start putting my groceries up. The cashier was noticeably annoyed and short. Then, my debit card wouldn't work. Three tries and one wipe on my shorts later, it finally worked, PRAISE GOD. We were out the door and off to McDonald's. Then we went to meet daddy for lunch at his work. Stupid, I know. He and I were planning on Chick Fil A, but when we walked the 40 mile trek to get there (exaggerating, but seriously, they put it out in Tim Buck Too), the line of students was wrapped around the corner. So we walked another 40 miles to Kids Cove and ate there. Landon of course needed to use the bathroom, so I took him. 5 flushes later I walk to his stall, and lean over to pull his pants up. He then flushes the toilet and its sprays me all over my face... thankfully it was clear water, but still SO GROSS. We eventually left and my kids were like Zombies in the car. I then get a call from work asking if I can work tomorrow afternoon....SURE, ABSOLUTELY, I am so full of life this week, why not???? (said dripping with sarcasm) They are all now in bed, and I still have to put the groceries away, and clean what I think is still my house. Tonight I will go, ALONE, and finish my shopping making today my LAST day shopping with these sweet perfect little angels. ;)

Home Schooling Week One - OVERLOAD

Well, it's the fourth day of our first week with Home Schooling, and its been a rough start to say the least! I have been able to plan and keep a nice schedule with the work itself ,though that's time consuming in itself. But actually getting the work done each morning, in the midst of 2-4 kids under 2, that has been a challenge. Mix that with this week being my first week waking up at 5:30 again, Kyleigh's unwillingness to do anything hard, (which for Kyleigh means anything that she doesn't catch onto immediately) and D.J.'s severe case of A.D.D., my head is spinning today. I can't say I have ever craved coffee as often as I have been this week.

Today's venture started early, because we were trying to finish school before Isaiah got here. I set up a desk for Landon again, hoping his excitement with being involved would last longer than 5 minutes, but that just wouldn't be Landon. He kept taking the legs off of his desk, then in a fit of rage towards his sister, he threw it. After that, I just turned on Elmo in the other room. That got his attention for the time being. Meanwhile, Gabe and Hayden were fighting, crying and screaming every 5 minutes over their snack. We had only gotten through our "stretching" segment when D.J. asks, "how much longer do we have to do school?" Really? we haven't done anything of value yet, at least let me hand you a worksheet or something first. Once we finally got the first lesson started, Hayden started venturing up the stairs and spilled my coffee. While cleaning that up, Gabe picked up a crayon and started coloring on our American Flag ( the one we made for the 4th of July with the hand and footprints). Next thing I know, a glue stick is being thrown at my head. Why? Because D.J. was angry over a piece of paper. It took about 40 minutes to complete the first lesson, which was the 4th day of Creation...consisting of coloring and gluing the number 4, the sun and the moon to a piece of paper. Not sure how they managed to turn that into such a long process, but then again, they are MY children.  Gabe then walks over to our side of the room again and we are all made fully aware that he needed a diaper change. Break number 506 is taken. Then Hayden is tearing up one of the books, and 2 minutes later we hear a shatter... one of the babies had dropped a candle and it shattered everywhere. D.J. then asks again, "are we done yet?" That's when I decided we were moving our "class" outdoors.

We got everyone outside, and set up Alphabet Bingo. All was well for about 5 minutes, but then Landon came to join us. We were using cheerios to mark our letters, and Landon refused to believe they were for anything other than eating. I kept running out of markers because he kept eating them. When I told him to stop, you would have thought I told him to cut off his right arm. Then Hayden fell...again... and I picked her up and continued playing with the kids. Another minute goes by and Hayden's fascination with the bingo cards resulted in them being spilled all over the ground. After Landon's 900th all out screaming and throwing tantrum, we finished up the second round of bingo, and D.J. asks yet again, "are we done YET?"  Yes son, yes we are done. PRAISE GOD we are done for the day! Lets add too that I just found an opened permanent marker on the floor, 2 Popsicles were left on my computer desk and the kitchen chair, and there is pee on my computer chair thanks to Landon who apparently didn't want to take the time out to go to the bathroom.

Some day, SOME HOW, I will find a way to make this work!! Until then... let the adventure continue. ;)