Monday Night Blues

• It's not really a blues kind of Monday. Actually, it wasn't a bad Monday at all. Tonight was left over night....not one kid complained. I'm pretty sure I used to never like left over night....did I? Then again, I was a pig as a kid!
• We are officially in a routine. Home, homework, dinner, bath and bed. Occasionally there is a little playtime, arguing, teeth brushing, story time and hugs in between there somewhere.
• I'm trying hard to adjust to the boy in the house. He climbs walls, bounces off trees, pretends we're all fighting some sort of form of evil....and his socks all get filthy in less than two minutes. I got on to him once last week because I feared #1 a broken bone and #2 my little girl would attempt to copy him (and she's VERY clumsy.)
• Each night at supper, after everyone is finished, we all have a chore to do to make clean up go by fast. Everyone is responsible for putting their empty plate and silverware in the right side of the sink, then I give each person a chore. When everyone is ready I say the magic word and we all get up. The magic word is....."Go."
  
• Tonight, I said, "Are we ready to hear what our supper chore is?" The boy picks up the ranch, his sister-the salt and pepper shakers, my lil one the ketchup....I looked around, smiled and said....Go! I was quite happy at that moment.
• I'll pretend it's not because they've all figured out that if they all have their homework done after dinner that they get to play outside for a little bit before bath times.
• Mr. Little Man got in trouble at school today. Not too big of a deal just yet. The teacher wrote that he wasn't paying attention in class in his folder. I gigged....I have a feeling there will be more of that before this semester is done.
  
• His mom and dad visited last night and his dad had told him if he would stay out of trouble for a whole six weeks they would talk about a reward.
  
• I remember thinking...couldn't we set a more reasonable goal? Come on, I have kids, I remember once telling my younger daughter....could ya just go one day this week without getting in trouble?
• Seems that teacher thought my little girl talked too much. Humfph....nahhh, not my lil one!
  
• I got smart today on the way out of work. I went to Walmart with only one kid and then picked up the other three. Walmart is a lot less stressful the less number of kids you take in there.
  
• Last night I got woken up several times by kids. Once for a coughing fit which didn't go well. Someone threw a tantrum when taking the cough medicine. Cough medicine went everywhere.
  
• Next few times was from the youngest girl in the house yelling in her sleep. I remember hearing her yelling at her brother to get off the swing. I sat up and was just about to hollar at him to get off that swing when I realized that it was three am. Then I sat and chuckled at her still hollaring at him. It was cute.
• The next two hours weren't as cute. More coughing and more sleepy yelling.
  
• I have no idea how my two kids slept through that, but when I retold the story on the way to school, they all found it funny, including the yeller. The midnight tantrum thrower had no recollection of the events in the middle of the night.
• And to think I was worried these kids weren't gonna get good sleep last night.
• It didn't take long for them to go out tonight!
  
• Speaking of sleep.....I'm worn out. I'm a little under the weather, have clean bathrooms and a clean kitchen. I think I deserve to snuggle up to the last load of laundry I haven't hung up yet and sleep. Just sleep.