It’s that time of year again when the kiddos are on vacation from school. Yippee. I say this with the thrill and love of my children, and the sarcastic, ugh. Husband and I both work full-time from home, so whether they are sick, on vacation, or just home for whatever other reason, we still have to work.

Luckily, the two big kids are able to (relatively) entertain themselves. Their day went like this:

• Wake at 5 then 5:30, then 6 a.m. (J) and 7:30 a.m. (A). Because, why sleep in on vacation?
• Bicker about something.
• Ask for food.
• Play outside.
• Bicker about who is touching what snow.
• Come inside and ask for food.
• Ask to watch a movie (and get denied)
• J beg A to play and get denied.
• J continually beg to play and continually get denied.
• Ask for a snack.
• Start to draw/color
• J ask A for help drawing a brachiosaurus, but A is too busy drawing her own thing to help
• Because you (J) tried to get up too early, start bawling because you don’t know how to draw and won’t get help. Subsequently, got sent to his room to calm down and collect himself.
• Comes back down after he is “calm” but gets frustrated again because he doesn’t know what to draw, even after given lots of suggestions from me. Heads back upstairs to collect himself.
• Repeat four times. Yes, four.

Oh, and this is all before noon. Super.

The rest of the afternoon included more tears, fort building, scooter riding (both outside and in), more tears, attitude, and yes, at one point, a movie.

Meanwhile, there is also a baby. So, more tears, food, naps in this department.

At one point, while sitting on the floor with baby, my police officer son “captured” me and I was in jail. But, I was able to play and not move, so that was a bonus.

It’s day two of vacation, and things aren’t looking much brighter. The things the bigger two argue about just blows my mind (who gets to be which transformer, etc). But, I get it. It’s hard when one is five and wants nothing more than to play and be with his sister, and the other is twelve and wants nothing more than to be left alone. There are sometimes fleeting moments of peace when they get along and play well together….but it doesn’t last too long.

And it’s only day two.

Wish us luck.