Ode to the Day Off

Due to conferences, there is no school today. There was no school last Friday. Next Friday, there's school. But, the next two after that? No school. I often wonder if my parents felt like school was closed at the drop of a hat like I do. I don't remember having quite so many days off.

The kids get a fall break, winter break (which was Christmas break when I was a kid), mid-winter break, and spring break. All on top of at least 1 Friday or Monday per month off, sometimes more. The kids start later in the school year, as well, since the state changed the opening date, making it required that school does not start before Labor Day anymore. The theory is that it helps tourism. School still lets out in the same week in June, though.

The one thing I love about no school days? Waking up late. I love sleep. I love to sleep in. I love naps. I hate mornings. Hate, hate, hate mornings.

What I dislike about no school days? Waking up to kids screaming at each other. It happens all too often. Actually, come to think of it, it happens on school days as well. Raegan gets up at 5:30am. Why? No clue, she doesn't leave for school until 7:20, and she does not use the time to shower, or go through an hour long makeup ritual.

She wakes Chris up at 6:15. Nick gets up for work at 6:30, and to make sure the kids are up, or to wake them if they aren't. They are all out of the house by 7:20. My alarm goes off at 7:15, and I turn it off and lay there willing myself not to fall back asleep. Then there are those mornings. The ones where Raegan's in a mood, and Chris won't get up, so she stands on the stairs screaming at him, and threatening to tell Mom & Dad, and to dump water on him.

The ones where Chris pitches a fit, and starts stomping on the floor screaming at the top of his lungs at Raegan. The ones where they scream at each other over breakfast. The ones where Raegan is constantly saying, "Just get your stuff, Chris, it's time to GO!" a good 10 minutes before it's time to go.

On the weekends, Nick and I sleep in. We are not "up with the crows". We sleep till 10, or sometimes later. We are night owls, and take advantage of the weekends. The kids, too, except they always beat us up in the mornings, and then? Then we wake up to fighting of a different nature.

Chris: "Gillian, knock it off! I want to listen to this!"
Gillian: "You're not the boss of me! I don't have to!"
Chris: "Gillian, turn that down, it's too loud!" (never mind that it is never actually loud, and never any louder than whatever Chris is playing/watching/listening to/doing)
Gillian: "I'm telling Mom and Dad!"
Chris: "No, Gillian! You're going to wake them up, and they'll be MAD!" (never mind that we're already laying there awake, groaning, and hoping they won't discover that tidbit)

Mornings are always... difficult. Chris has severe bossy issues. He -has- to be the boss. Example? Gilly comes down and I ask her to do something, such as take a toy up to her room. Before she's even all the way to said toy, Chris is saying, "Gilly, pick it up, mom said!" Before she gets 2 more steps, he's yelling at her to do it. Before she's got it in her hands, he's yelling again. Before she gets to the stairs to take it to her room, he's yelling again.

Meanwhile, I'm telling him, repeatedly, that it isn't any of his concern, and that he is not her boss, and that he needs to stop.

It's a compulsion with him, almost, because even AS we're telling him to stop, and he's telling us he'll stop, he's doing it again. I honestly don't think he realizes he does it. But it still drives us up a wall.

Our kids are loud. They fight- a lot. Hourly, in fact. And I wish I could tell you I was kidding, but I'm SO not kidding.

But, then they do something completely awesome that just makes us giggle. Like breaking out into full weirdo dancing at the circus.