Middle School Craziness

SOOOOOOOOO.
The boys are in middle school.

This means that all.the.stuff. they've always wanted to do is now available to them. 

So they have joined everything.

EVERY.thing.

We now have two boys in band.  Trumpet and drums.  There is a piano, a mandolin, a drum, a set of bells, a guitar, and a trumpet currently in my living room.

And there's football.  They only have one complete set of kidneys between the two of them, and yet.... they're in football.  Not my choice, obviously.  And bribery  is alleged to have been involved in Colby's decision to join as well (Dad?  I'm looking at you). 

Piano lessons continue, but now Reagan has joined in, so I sit for 90 minutes a week in a dark basement with questionable ventilation.

Soccer.  There's still soccer, twice a week without fail.

Squires, with Colby as Sergeant at Arms and in charge of bringing "all the stuff" to every meeting.  We, as in me, are not good at keeping track of "all the stuff". 

Robotics League.  Which apparently is very involved, and includes out of area travel? 

Basketball.  Starts next week, but not yet (thank GOODNESS).

Faith Formation.  I'm sure the boys would be happy to ditch, but Mama won't let them.

And the school play.  I have a feeling at least one of the two will want to be involved. 

This on top of school with daily homework, and piano practice, and band practice, and robotics homework, and achievements for Squires... all of which is supposed to be done "at home", when it's suddenly apparent that they never ARE at home!!!  I might add that the motivator/nag/transporter/keep-track-of-thing-er (moi) is currently on a "9 days in a row" working stint, clocking overtime when I'm supposed to be PART time.  

I'm exhausted just thinking about it. My head is about to explode.   How long can we keep this up???? 

It's always my fault.

Quinn: "Mom, Colby got his name written on the board today at school."
Mom: "COLBY!  What for???"
Colby: "Because you didn't buy me a notebook for school.  I need a notebook for English."
Mom: "You didn't tell me you needed a notebook.  That's not my fault."
Quinn: "He's going to get detention, if he gets three more checks."
Mom: "You boys better not get detention.  I NEVER got detention in all my years of school."
Quinn: "That's because you were a goody two-shoes."
Colby: "And YOUR mother bought you notebooks when you needed them!"

Whatever.  Everything is always my fault. 

Spoiled Kids....

In what is HOPEFULLY the last time this happens for at least the next 9 months (school is starting!!!), I took all three kids with me to Walmart today.  For a solid 2 hours, they asked for all.the.things.  Without letting up.  "Mom can I have gum?"  "Mom, can I have a dollar?"  "Mom, can I buy some candy?"  "Mom, can I have this t-shirt?" 

Finally, in desperation, I cried out to the heavens...
"If one more person asks me to buy something for them, I am going to EXPLODE!!!!"

In response, each of my three innocent children smiled deviously, and asked "can we have a pop?"
("I just want to see you explode, Mom"  Colby said.  Thanks.)

On the way home, during which the kids were asking to have friends invited over, or go to the park, or stop by the video store for a movie, or or or or.... I just couldn't take it any more.

"You guys are driving me crazy.  You must be the most spoiled children in the entire world."

They denied this adamantly.

"We're not spoiled.  We just ask.  You always say no to everything we ask."
"Well, you must be spoiled, if you expect that every day is going to be like Disneyland. We must be spoiling you."

Quinn was introspective.

"No, Mom.  We're just optimists.  I have lots of high hopes."

Whatever.  They're driving me nuts.

Engineering a Skate Park... off the Front Porch

Father Son Day

Daddy took Quinn to breakfast in the airplane.  Here's how Quinn spends his time while Daddy gets the plane ready.

Serving At The Altar

Quinn and Colby are learning how to serve at the altar.  Don't they look so handsome (and holy ?!?!?!) in their surplices????

My talented Children

All the way home from the KC Bonkers Vaudeville Radio Show we went to this afternoon, my kids put their kazoos to good use.  Inspired by the show, I'm sure.  I heard this version of  "Uptown Funk" from the moment we left the parking lot, until I pulled into the driveway at home. 

Who says we don't have talent.