Adjustments

I'd like things to be more like this...

I'm not their slave girl!

Team Testosterone began their summer schedule and, like underwear creeping upwards, it's requiring some adjustment on my part. The bachelors enjoy long days of leisure--some TV, minimal chores, a lot of playing between sandbox, swing set and trampoline with the hose. They stay awake until 9:00 p.m. Mr. G wakes up at 6:30. Mr. B and Mr. T wake up at 8:30. They require constant and continual feeding. I'm also obligated to encourage (read: force) Mr. T to work on things like math and practice his guitar.

This means that I have to start:
* shopping for 5 daily meals/snacks--children home all day tend to eat all day.
* doing loads more laundry--as I type this, 3 loads are drying outside. This whole sandbox/water hose thing is messy.
* vacuuming and mopping daily (see above).
*cracking the whip--I'm not their slave girl, they can put away their dirty dishes, snack foods, toys and clothes. They can also assemble themselves for soccer games and trips to the library. I'll tie shoes and shout orders.
* changing bedding more than every other week. They go to bed filthy and if they're not getting in the shower every night, the sheets need washing.
* figuring out when I'm getting my free time (read: blogging, editing, writing time). Between 9:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. is not sufficient.
* cleaning bathrooms more regularly. They're all boys and they have terrible aim. And for some reason Mr. G won't flush his poops down, so that's another nasty surprise every day depending on when we find it.
* striking the balance between leisure time and enrichment and instilling discipline. I don't want to organize every minute of their day--I'm a big believer in free time and boredom and cardboard boxes and creativity. I'm also a big believer in a little bit of planning.
* refereeing all day long instead of after school only. I hope we'll start with more yelling and time-outs and after a fashion require less Mom Interference.
* pacing the day so we are prepared for 5:15 t-ball games and 1:00 library programs. Going from a tightly scheduled school year to the looser, but still weekly summer schedule means watching the clock differently.

I love this gang, but having them around all day every day all of a sudden takes my breath away.

Posted in: if mama ain't happy..., still living and learning, Team Testosterone