Summer's Downfall

I love all five children being home right now, but I have one giant thing to complain about—actually, a couple of things.  I am running the damn dishwasher three times a day and still waking up to dirty dishes.  How is this possible?  What are we running here, a food kitchen for the homeless?  I have decided to start buying paper products because I feel like all I am doing is cleaning that kitchen all day.  I don’t use them because I figure with the amount of diapers I am using I am already contributing to the garbage problem enough and it’s just another expense that I figure we don’t need.  Well, we’re using them this summer.  This is ridiculous.

My other complaint is that the big kids are like “Woohoooooo!  It’s summer!  No bed time!”  I said that we were going to have a bedtime and get up at a decent time and that we weren’t wasting the summer sleeping (I sound like my mom) but for whatever reason, it hasn’t happened.  I have yelled every night, but last night I went psychotic because I was so sick of them being up and being loud.  The babies can’t go to sleep when the big kids are playing, fighting, running down the hall, and laughing (that would be Logan).  I came out of the boys’ room after Logan had just woken Carson and I screamed at him and Lindsey for slamming doors and fighting.  Remember that it was after 10:30, it’s not like it was 8:00.  These babies need sleep so they won’t be cranky and so their brains can grow!  And as for me, I already work 24 hours a day and I need a break and I need a routine.  I don’t need Logan staying up until midnight when his medicine has worn off some time during the afternoon, which is what I told him while I was screaming.  Don calmed me down and he sent them to bed.  I want at least an hour with no children, and sleeping doesn’t count.  I want ONE hour of being awake with no children at night to hang out with Don or read a book or to do something that doesn’t require cooking anything, cleaning anything, or breaking up a fight. 

I know one thing about myself and especially at this stage in my life.  I need structure as much as these babies (ok, toddlers) do, or I will act like they do when they are tired—like a big baby. 

Don’s friend told me a couple of days ago that someone once said to him “Brit has it so easy, she stays at home” and he said that he told the person that he would never take my job and that it’s the hardest job in the world.  It was nice hearing that and knowing that not everyone thinks I sit around filing my nails all day!  I absolutely love being home with the kids, but some days are rough.  Logan and Lindsey are so much harder than Carson and Dylan and their fighting is the reason that I am so exhausted.  It’s awful.  They are like a 75-year-old married couple and I feel completely drained since they have been out of school.  I haven’t even wanted to go to the gym because I feel so tired.  I still go because it gives me energy.

I may be taking a little break from this blog and working on a new one.  I have named it “The Chenault Ledger” and I am going to write news articles five days a week for 30 days.  I won’t quit this blog, but will have to take a break because I don’t think that I will have enough time to keep up with both.  I also want to find some time to write some fiction, but I don’t have time for that either.  I will let you know when I decide. 

One more thing.....I have mentioned several times that I am watching "Cheers".  Don and I were watching it a couple of weeks ago and Sam and Diane were fighting; it was that famous scene before they kiss.  Sam says that she never shuts up and always has to have the last word, and he started timing her to see if she could be completely quiet for 10 seconds.  She lost.  So anyway, Don and I have this joke now that I am Diane and he is Sam.  When Don first said that I was like her I denied it because she is so smart, but then the longer I watched I realized that although I have not read Tolstoy (yet), there are similarities.  I cannot shut up.  Don is right.  So last night we were all sitting in the living room and somehow we ended up making a bet.  He said "I'll bet you a pair of shoes that you can't be quiet for 30 minutes."  Well, I did it.  And here's the funny thing.....it was so hard to stay quiet, and when the 30 minutes passed I actually felt like I needed to catch up because I had been silent for so long.  I did.  I thought "What were all of the things that I wanted to say?  I have to say them!"  Of course, that's ludicrous, so I fought the urge.  I was proud of myself and to be honest, it was sort of nice not being allowed to talk because Don had to tell the kids what to do.  HA!

Here’s the Word of the Day:

brindled \BRIN-dld\, adjective:

Gray or tawny with darker streaks or spots.