Tomorrow, Tomorrow, I Love Ya, Tomorrow

If you've come to see the results of the naming contest, go here. If not, don't go anywhere. Until you come to the comment form. Once there, leave a word or two describing my awesomeness, and then you are free to go. And please keep your hands and arms inside at all times. Thank you.

And now we return to normal programing.

Can I just say how excited I am about tomorrow? I may even take the advice I always give my children when they're waiting for something exciting to happen, and go to bed super early so morning can come even sooner. (And after my holiday hours, it's going to seem awfully early, believe me).

And what is it I'm so excited about? What wonderful, glorious thing happens tomorrow? (As if every mother out there doesn't already know EXACTLY what I'm referring to) TOMORROW THEY GO BACK TO SCHOOL!!!!

And I don't mean the neighbors.

I mean them. The ones currently wrestling all over my house (because that's what boys do), teasing their sister (because they do that too), and being bored and hungry the rest of the time.

It was so much fun having them home that first unexpected week when we had the snow days. It was really quite pleasant having them around as Christmas drew closer. Christmas day, I even managed to enjoy them between Nerf gun blasts and nose blowing. The next few days were a blur of messes, and toys, and cold-recovery, but they weren't so bad. As we've drawn closer to tomorrow, however, things have begun to go south.

They're wrestling more. They're teasing more. And they are now the boredest, hungriest kids in the entire universe. (And yes, I know 'boredest' isn't an actual word. Whatever.) I guess you could say that their bored little minds are ready for a little stretching.

And while I'm on the subject of it, can I take a moment to say "God bless elementary teachers"? Seriously. Any woman willing to sacrifice every ounce of energy (both physical AND mental) to teach children and decorate bulletin boards is a saint. Do any of you know what that job is like?

Well, let me tell you. As you know, I am a substitute teacher. I've subbed in elementary school. The children are both adorable AND adoring, but it is constant interaction the entire day. Like every second of every minute. (Well, there was that time I sent the second graders out to recess and took a nice long break until some adult knocked on the door and informed me that my door was locked, and the children had been standing outside for at least ten minutes. I was wondering when their recess was supposed to be over...)

I love subbing in high school. I enjoy subbing in middle school. I will (when absolutely necessary) sub in the sixth grade. Anything below that - forget it. Just looking at those bulletinboards gives me a craft-headache. I can't imagine having to decorate them (and the entire room) for every changing season, and every single holiday. When I get off work from a nice cushy day telling high schoolers to be quiet and do their work, I go to my kids' school to pick them up. Just watching the adults wrangle the children waiting for their parents gives me a headache.

And then I think, "Those amazing women have been doing this ALL DAY LONG. And every day for who knows how long."

And what's even more amazing? They like it. I think some of them even like the decorating/bulletin board thing.

So God bless the teachers, every one. Thank you for all you do. For teaching and mediating, disciplining and tolerating, liking and even loving my children. Mothers every where would be a little more insane without you - not to mention what you're doing for my children and their little minds. I know that I personally, would be lost without you.

And YAY!!! for tomorrow! I may even miss them in my quiet house. Well, maybe not. I'll love them the whole time they're gone, however, and be thrilled to see them when they get home. But the hours in between going and coming are mine. I may even nap. It'll be beautiful.

And may all your tomorrow's be as quiet and peaceful as mine.

The Day Laundry Made Me Smile

I just want to announce the discovery of a surprising new therapy.

Limericks on laundry (as amazing as it may sound) written by blogger buddies you may not even know, make a person suffering from emotional stress and fatigue feel remarkably better. The suffering individual may even smile, chuckle, or (if the limerick has both perfect meter, and witty rhyming) induce actual laughter.

Thank you, thank you, thank you. And please don't stop now - you have until tomorrow (Sunday) night to compose your entries. Just think how many unhappy, stressed out people you may unwittingly help by your submissions! Who knows what kind of emotional basket cases may read my blog (after all, they say like attracts like, and I am DEFINITELY feeling rather baskety this week!)

So thank you again, you really have brightened my weekend!

Complete Mom Checkout

I think I've checked out for the summer. In a good way. Well, good for me - my family may not agree. This new state of mine is not the same as the Summer Blahs, which I've already mentioned getting. This transcends the Blahs, and has taken me to an entirely different sphere.

The Blahs just means having a general frustration, lack of energy, boredom, and a longing for some itsy, bitsy bit of motivation. I am blissfully past all that. Heck, who needs to be motivated when there are only days left of summer vacation? I'm feeling so relaxed I actually read a book this week. And it's only Tuesday. And...I didn't even feel guilty about it when I realized my husband was on his way home and I hadn't made dinner.

Dinner. What is that anyway? Can't we just repeat lunch and have sandwiches? Sure we can! See how blissful Complete Mom Checkout (CMC) can be? You send your kiddies out to play in the morning, see them briefly around lunchtime, and again at secondlunch/dinner. Then you send them back out for their last nights of summery evening play, and get them so tired they fall right into bed and sleep.

Now, as wonderful as it sounds, CMC isn't possible in long term situations. It requires dropping all but the most necessary household chores, i.e. dishes, laundry (only the minimal amount), and basic straightening. (Anything more obnoxious that MUST be done is assigned to the children to ensure a state of complete relaxation for the checked out mother.). This has been going on in my house for about three days. I feel wonderful.

For all of you who think I am the worst wife/mother ever for proudly embracing the CMC state, I would like to present my defense. In one week from tomorrow I reenter the world of getting up at 5:30 to get four children out the door by 7:15, working, teaching piano lessons, homework, reading, chores (theirs and mine), and all the other things moms are responsible for when they aren't checked out. So for the next seven days, I will continue to feel no pressure about all the things I could be doing, I will have very casual dinners, I will let my children run wild with the neighbors (within reason, of course), and I will remain completely immune to any feelings of guilt. After all, moms deserve a break every now and then, right? This is mine, and I am determined to enjoy it. So there. (My mother would never approve).