Back to School Blues

Yesterday, I had 2.5 hours to myself after getting my kids off to school and before my little guy returned from his pre-school summer camp.  I wrote one chapter.  My sister called, so we talked for a few minutes - a rare thing.  I ate a cup of cereal with a fork (the dishes weren't done the night before).  And I got a shower.

Even though I only wrote one chapter - my pre-summer self used to be able to pound out two in a sitting - it was a difficult one, one that I've been putting off.  This morning I'm not sure about it - I don't think it moves along as quickly as the rest. 

Maybe that's because I'm exhausted.  Just like my character, I am a bit used up, more today than yesterday. 

Yesterday afternoon after I picked up my babes from school, we had an indoor picnic with leftover pizza and fishie crackers.  We did puzzles - the same two twelve-piece puzzles over and over until he could do them with confidence, which was awesome to witness.  We played trains, played restaurant with plastic food, did art with twistable crayons, painted with water colors (my favorite part of the day), did two loads of dishes (that was me, not him), had snacks, and then completely ran out of things to do.  I was so tired and needed a nap.  He was full of energy and wouldn't take a nap.  So we sat together and sang songs. 

We started counting down the minutes to my daughter coming home from high school.  I had an overwhelming sense of appreciation for my kids, for how much they have helped out over the summer while I've been trying to recover from my back and foot injury.  Then I looked at the clock again - it was 2:00.  Then I realized it was my son - my ten year old - not my daughter that had been such a help over the summer in the mornings.  My daughter was usually just crawling out of bed at 2:00.  She definitely helped in the afternoons, but the morning was when I needed help. 

My daughter finally came home, was super-tired since she had stayed up most of the night, and went to sleep.  When my son came home, I finally got a rest.  He played with my little guy until dinner was ready and for a while after we ate. 

Before bed, I did make a point of telling my middle son how much I appreciate him.  He's a huge help and never complains.  He loves playing with his brother and including him in whatever he does.  And when he wants time to himself, he often helps me out anyway just because he can see I need the help. 

Mourning the End of Summer

My kids go back to school today.  My teenager is already at school in class right now as I drink a cup of coffee and try to wake myself up before it's time to wake up child number two in ten minutes.  My littlest guy needs to wake up for his little morning preschool exactly twenty minutes after that.  

I think my preschooler is the most excited, although he got the most sleep of all of us.  He wants to stand at the bus stop with his big brother and watch him get on the bus. 

Today I get three hours to myself, a luxury lately, but I don't want it.  I just want to hang out with my kids for one more day.  I've been longing for a morning where I can spend some time working on my novel - today is the day, but I don't feel like it quite yet.  Maybe one more cup of coffee and the vision of a super excited preschooler seeing the bus coming for his brother will cheer me up.