The Saddest Day of Winter Break

I'm sitting here getting ready to write about how sad I am break is over and behind me I can hear M and L fighting. . . again.  2 weeks is a long time for togetherness, especially for people who live together. 3 girls with attitudes who all "mother" the other and complain they are being mothered. 3 girls who insist they each have a spot on the couch, and it's the exact same spot. 3 girls who all have Science Fair projects due the week school starts again and none of whom have started (well, finally 2 are almost finished).  It's enough to drive any mother to the brink of insanity and yet here I sit lamenting that tomorrow school starts up again.

I know most parents can't wait for their kids to go back to school.  I was telling my Mom how I feel about school starting again and she said, "Are you kidding?? I couldn't wait for school to start up again!" I know most of my friends cannot wait to send their kids back, and yet I hate it.  It's not because I love being around my girls more, honestly, it's really just sheer laziness on my part.

I love the days that don't have the morning rush.  You know, the jumping out of bed at 6:45 because you slept through alarm again.  The rushing to make sure the girls are up and prodding them to "hurry up and get dressed!" "If you don't eat breakfast now, you're not eating!" "The neighbor will be here in 5 minutes and you shoes still aren't on!" "You want to go to school with your hair looking like a rat's nest? Whatever."

I love the afternoons where we don't have "Homework Wars".  You know, the cajoling of everyone to "please, just sit down and do your homework!" "No, you cannot have yet another snack, you can do your homework." "No, we cannot put on the TV, now do your homework!" "Well, of course you're distracted.  What do you expect when you do your homework while sitting on the couch in the middle of the busiest room in the house? Go use your desk we bought for you!" "Pacing again?? Is your homework complete? No? Want to see Mommy go insane, because I'm getting pretty close to that.  Go do your homework!!"

I love the nights that I don't have to make lunch.  I have a wonderful lunch schedule.  It's 8 weeks worth of meals and it pretty much takes all of the thinking out of planning lunch and yet it's still such a loathsome chore.  I have friends who tell me their kids make their own lunches; they have baskets set up in the pantry and the fridge and the kids grab what they want and put it into a bag. I don't do that because I think it still requires a lot of prep.  The girls never tell me when we are on the last few of anything and I know 8:00 at night is when they'd tell me we are out of whatever lunchy item or items they need.  Also, as much as I hate making them, I know my lunches are healthier than anything the girls would take, especially when I see M's lunch box every afternoon is missing the snack, but her entree isn't touched at all and her fruit/veggie is only partially eaten.

Breaks aren't all easy, of course.  The girls fight incessantly, they don't listen, we are off schedule, there are no bedtimes, which makes for some very Surly Curly Girlies,  the house usually ends up messy (but not this break!!!), I end up behind on laundry (not really different from when we aren't on break, if I'm being honest) but still, I love these days more than the stress filled school ones.

The girls go back tomorrow and that's when my countdown to Spring Break begins: 11 weeks!