Day Twenty-One of Summer Vacation

Much less stressful. Much, much quieter.

It's just me and Timothy today. Rebecca is at Grandma's. Tristan and Mike are at work, and all is right in the world. Well, my world anyway.

Tim is playing video games on the other computer and watching TV. I'm on my computer. The dogs are being good (for a change. No one is eating the cats at the moment.)

I can actually hear myself think today (not always a good thing, but today it's a welcome change), and I haven't said, "Knock it off!" once yet today.

I had forgotten how nice quiet is. I haven't heard it since school let out for the summer twenty-one days ago. Seems like so long ago.

Day Twenty of Summer Vacation

I don't know that I'm going to make it through the entire summer. Seriously, I just don't think I can do it.

Rebecca and Timothy are at each other constantly. Arguing, picking, and just generally irritating the hell out of each other. "Stop!" "Don't touch me!" "Quit it!" It's starting to wear on the one nerve I have left.

If I've said, "Knock it off!" once, I've said it a thousand and one times. I think I'm invisible. At least to the children, anyway. Nothing I say registers. Hell, I don't think they even know I'm in the room, yelling at them. They just continue with their meanness toward one another.

Tristan and Mike are the lucky ones. They get to leave every day. They get to go to work and have adult conversations, do work that counts for something, and have a life. I want to go to work. I want to have funny stories to tell my husband at the end of the day.

On the brighter side, tomorrow should be better.....I think. Rebecca left this afternoon for a few days at grandma's house. Tim couldn't go because of baseball practice, but at least there will be no one here for him to fight with. I suppose tomorrow he will be pestering me because he's bored.

Lovely.....

Family Fishing Trip

Yesterday, we took the kids out on our first fishing trip of the season. And what a blast we had! We made two trips to the lake, got rained on, caught fish, got snagged on the lake's bottom, lost a couple of lures, and had lots of laughs.

We started out the day at the park across the street for Timothy's baseball game. They played the best team in the league and even though they lost, they gave them a run for their money. The final score was 8-6. Timothy hit one out into the outfield for a double, caught a fly ball for an out, and scored one run.

After the game, we came home and got the rods ready for our fishing trip. After changing line, attaching the lures everyone wanted to use, and making sure the life vests were on board, we headed to the lake. On our way, the skies started getting darker and darker. I had checked the radar before we left and it just looked like a few stray showers, so we went ahead and left.

Well, by the time we got to the lake, all the other boaters were heading in. The dark clouds were producing lightning and being in the middle of the lake during lightning is dangerous. So, we went home, had something to eat, and waited the storm out.

When the skies cleared, we loaded up and headed back to the lake. This time, we got on the water and headed to one of our favorite spots. Rebecca was the first to get her rod in the water, and as the rest of us are messing around trying to get ours in, we hear, "Hey People! I've got something here! And it's pulling!!"

So, Rebecca caught the first fish, a nice sized walleye that went into the cooler. I caught the next one, also going in the cooler. Mike and Tristan each caught a walleye, but they were thrown back to grow some more. Mike actually caught another one that he was going to keep, but he handed it to Tristan to put in the cooler, and it wriggled right out of Tristan's hands and back into the lake. That was hilarious!

I also caught a big catfish, which was a blast to bring in! It fought and pulled. It took me about ten minutes to get it into the boat! It went into the cooler too. Catfish is yummy!

In the end, I caught three fish, Tristan caught two, Mike caught two, and Rebecca caught one. Timothy didn't like the type of fishing we were doing, so he complained most of the trip and didn't fish much. We came home with three walleye and the catfish.

Oh, I almost forgot! Those stray showers that showed on the radar? Yeah. Even though we waited out the first one, there were other smaller, less threatening showers behind it, and we did end up getting wet. But the good thing about that, it seemed that the fish bit better during the rain! As long as there was no lightning, we stayed out. It was so worth it!

Day Fourteen of Summer Vaction

Rebecca and Timothy cleaned the kitchen....without being told.

Rebecca cleaned the bathroom.....on her own.

Timothy vacuumed the living room.....without complaint.

They put their clean laundry away.....neatly and where it belongs the first time.

The two of them played well together today with minimal fighting.





I wondering what kind of miracle had to happen for them to behave this way, and how I can re-create it?

Day Eight of Summer Vacation

Ahhh.....

I have found a common ground. No fighting. No yelling. Only peaceful, happy, quiet moments. The trick? Stamping! Making our own homemade greeting cards!

I have a ton of stuff here. I drug the stuff out yesterday to make Father's Day cards for my Dad and Father-in-law, and the kids begged me to let them make cards too. So I did. And what a joy!

They made beautiful cards, got along, and we all had a great time! I was happy to be their mother again!

Today, so far so good. It's pretty wet outside again, so the kids have been watching movies on TV. No fighting there either. They are actually agreeing on what to watch! Unbelievable! Of course, it's early yet. Anything could happen.

Day Seven of Summer Vacation

Today isn't going too well. It's storming out, which means Timothy and Rebecca can't get outside to play. They are bored, and have taken to irritating each other. As it stands right now, Timothy is in the living room watching TV, and Rebecca is upstairs in her room pouting.

They have done everything in their power to irritate the other. Calling names, making fun, and just general picking. Everything is an argument, resulting in yelling and tears. So far, the only thing good I have to say is, at least they aren't beating the crap out of each other.......yet.

I'm sure it will come to that before the day is over.

Tristan is was mad when he left for work today. I told him I wanted him to come straight home from work. I need a break. I have some shopping to do when Mike gets home from work, and he can stay with the two younger ones while the parents do the shopping. Sounds fair to me.

I did manage to get some weeding done before the rain started. To my surprise, a couple of my gladiolas made it through the rough winter and are growing despite the mass of weeds that surrounded them. I got the bed weeded, and now they should thrive.

Day Five of Summer Vacation

It is day five of summer vacation. The kids have been out of school less than a week, and already my hair is frazzled, my brain has shut down, and I need a drink.

Their music is too loud. They run through the house. They scream. They fight. They terrorize the dog, and laugh.

On the other hand, they have found things to keep themselves occupied, and I haven't heard the infamous "I'm bored" yet. They have driven me up the wall with their requests to play in the hose water outside. There's something about running the water nonstop for no apparent reason that bothers me, so I say no. "But it's so hot, Mom!"

"Suck it up", I say.

I must sound like a terrible mother, and at times, I suppose I am. We all are at some point or another, right? Right?

All in all, things haven't really been as bad as I make it sound. They are being fairly good, despite the noise level in the house. Aside from a couple of arguments that have turned into fist fights, they are getting along relatively well. And so, because I haven't gone completely crazy yet, and they do deserve to have a little fun, I'll be taking them to the public pool this Friday when Tristan gets done with work.

Oh yeah, I forgot. Tristan started his first job ever yesterday. Nine hours a day, cleaning an all boys' seminary. The boys have gone home for the summer and the seminary hires high school kids to clean the multiple buildings over the summer. He's scrubbing toilets, cleaning carpets, and who knows what else. He says it's not hard work. And I suppose at $7 an hour, he'll not complain too much. Oh, and an added bonus? He gets free lunch! The Priests still live at the seminary, so the cafeteria cooks for them anyway, and the hired help gets lunch too. Not a bad deal, I say.

The highlight today so far was when Timothy and Rebecca decided to take Timothy's air powered rocket up on the airing porch on the second level and shoot it off. I told them not to, but did they listen? Of course not.

The rocket went waaaaaaaayyyyyy up, but didn't make it all the way back down before landing on the highest part of our roof. A roof that you'll never see me on, mind you. So, the kids spent the next two hours throwing a tennis ball at it, coaxing it down. Hey, it kept them busy for two hours. That's a good thing.

So, that's day five. So far, so good.

Before I Die

Is there something you've always thought about doing, but just haven't gotten around to it yet? Or maybe money is an issue, like it is for me. I would love to take a cruise some time before I die. Actually, taking one before I'm too old to enjoy it is high on my to-do list. Maybe some day when the kids are all grown and out of the house, Mike and I will be able to go. It just seems like the perfect vacation.

I've already been doing some research on the cost of a cruise, just in case I can find some great cruise deals that will make my dreams come true faster. There are some great all inclusive packages out there, but with three kids, it just isn't practical at the present time to spend the money on something that extravagant.

I will take a cruise..... one day.

Last Day of Freedom

Today is the last day of school for the kids.

Good news for them. Not so much for me.

Don't get me wrong. I love my children, and I love spending time with them. I just wish the two younger ones could learn to get along! I know it's normal for siblings to argue and bicker, but my goodness! It is constant, all day long! And over such stupid things! She doesn't kick the ball right. He's looking at her. It never ends! I want to pull my hair out and go running down the street screaming sometimes!

So, they will be home starting tomorrow.

Since I can't drive, and Tristan is off from his summer job on Friday afternoons, I think we're going to designate that time for some get-out-of-the-house fun time. We'll go to the community pool or the library or something of that nature on Fridays......IF they can behave the rest of the week. I realize that's probably a big if, and we'll probably spend more Fridays at home than not, but it'll give them something to shoot for. And maybe, I'll have a less stressful summer than what I'm expecting.

Wish me luck!