I have exactly 40 minutes until the door bursts open and the sounds of my precious children fill the house. My name will be said 27 times in the first ten minutes. I will have countless papers thrust under my nose, even though they know it has to be across the room for me to read it, unless I have on my glasses! I am never ready for the first 10 minutes, I wish I was. There is something unsettling to me about going from 0-60 in a second. Maybe, I enjoy my chaos free days too much. Bad selfish Mommy!

Our kids had Maryland State Assessments last week in school. Matt is as much on grade level as one can be with an adapted curriculum. He has been told repeatedly by his school social worker how smart he is (the leader of the class), but the problem is, he believes he is and needs to be perfect. He does well, but because he argues with me when I correct his homework ("that's not the way my teacher showed me"), and is reduced to tears when he makes an error, I avoid feeding into his academic perceptions of himself. We just deal with the facts. I guess the fifth grade test was more difficult then he thought it should be. His anxiety was through the roof all week and he reverted back to stealing other kids toys.
Ellie took the test for the first time this year. Chronologically, she should be in the third grade, thus was given the third grade test as per State guidelines. The only problem is she is working on a first grade level! In addition her teacher was out all week! She was beyond a mess!! I did feel sorry for her, she couldn't help but be frustrated. Am I wrong to think that my kids were abused by the State last week?

I have been slowly knocking out little projects in the house. We do not have one room in our house all the way completed. Though I blame Mickey, most of it is my fault. I get bored and leave a wall half unpainted (the kids play room, office, dining room, and kitchen!). I bought a pattern and material to make both kids bathrobes. I finished Matt's and Ellie's lays here almost done! You get the picture. To my credit, last week I completely painted (oops, except for all of the trim) the kids rooms. I did finish the trim in the upstairs hallway and stairs. My goal is to have two rooms completely completed by Spring Break. Wish me luck!

My objective in life has always been to be more organized. I am better, because I have to be, but there is definitely room for improvement. My friend Mary is a domestic diva. I hate her. Her house is always spotless, she never has a dish in the sink, her laundry is always done, there isn't so much as a piece of mail in sight. Her kids clothes are always changed over for the seasons weeks before mine are, and she has gotten rid of what doesn't fit! Her yard is spotless as well, she finds time to plant and tend to flowers. Her pool is opened or closed weeks before ours, etc, etc, etc!!! Okay, I'm not type A, at all. I do know how to manage my daily chores, sort of, but adding in cleaning windows, changing clothes over, planting flowers???

Now my darlings are home. Matt has managed to thrust 4 papers at me plus a prescription. Gotta love having the P-Doc at school! So now the games begin....