Spiders and the First Day of School, We Need Sleep

Yesterday was the first day of school.  I thought about blogging, but I think this is the only thing that would have been written....
dfjiekfopa;envdioahekf io jrinreitvnjre....translation "I'm exhausted and can't think coherently". 

I'm telling you that I was so tired that I was asleep before my eyelids closed.  I mean there is no tired like the first day of school tired.  It was a fabulous day....lots of smiles, lots of singing, lots of dancing, lots of having fun.....all on very little sleep...cuz for SOME reason, I can't ever sleep the night before the first day of school.  But let me tell you...I slept hard last night.....like "not even get up to pee in the middle of the night" slept hard! 

So....first day of school....the good thing is that everybody got up and nobody started crying.  We got ready and took our annual "first day of school pictures".  I don't know why we have them stand at the door and look like they are leaving....they're not leaving.  I mean, they have all their items and we always say "okay, now look like you're leaving by putting your hand on the door handle".  And then we have them sit down while we're doing last minute things.  It's kinda like those old Sears pictures...you know the ones....

.....they're not looking at anything except the ceiling....it's probably not even cold enough to wear a coat.  So here are the #s on their first day of 7th grade (#1), 3rd grade (#2), and 2nd grade (#3).....

 ....it's my own little Sears catalog of #s.  Aren't they precious!?!?!?!? 

For the first time EVER.....
#3:  I am SO EXCITED to go to school!!!!!
Me:  YAY!!!  I'm so excited for you!  Why are you excited?
#3:  I love my lunchbox!!!!
....whatever works.  I'll buy this kid a new lunchbox every day if he stays excited! 

After school, #1 was picking on #3....A LOT!  It was absolutely ridiculous.  I don't know if it's just the 7th grade thing, he was bored, he turned mean, or he just wanted to let out some frustration, but we were over it.....
Hubby:  This might be #1's last year
#1:  Am I driving you crazy?!?!?
......YES, YES YOU ARE!!!!!  It was crazy....these teenage years are gonna kill me.  I know all of you with small kiddos are like "oh no, that can't be.....I'll always love my kiddos....especially when they are teens cuz we'll bond" and all of you that have had teens are laughing your heads off.  I also know that those of you that know #1 keep rereading this thinking "not #1...she must mean #2".  No, I mean #1.....and it's driving me crazy!  So to end the school day, #3 had a meltdown.....look closely.....

Over dinner, we sat and talked about our day......
#1:  I had a good day.  I was kinda bored.  I didn't get to play in band today, so that made me sad.  I have a few classes with some of my friends and I get to eat lunch with my friends.  My teachers are nice...and I don't have homework.  I'm guessing it will be a good year. 
#2:  I had a great day!  I have a really nice teacher and she's funny.  I have a lot of friends in my class and we are going to have fun!  I am excited...and nervous about tomorrow...because we get to switch classes.  We don't have any latex balls yet, so we need to jump on that so we can play ball outside, but, of course, it has to be latex free.  We don't have homework....I don't think we're going to have any until next week.....which is okay, cuz I'm pretty good at homework. 
#3:  It was good. 
Me:  Elaborate.
#3:  I'm the libary (the way he says library) person.
Me:  What does that person do?
#3:  I straight the books.  And it's a neat job because if the basket is turned this way, I get to fix it!  I get to make sure that all of the books are in their place!  I also get to put the books back in the basket when the other kids don't know where they go!  I get to work by myself and do this every afternoon! 
Me:  You must be excited!!!
#3:  I guess.
.....I wish you could have heard these conversations.  They all are very excited about school.....even #3.....every time he tells somebody about school, he says he's the "libary person"....and his face lights up!

To get #3 to talk more about his day, the other #s try to start a conversation with him....
#1:  You know, #3......it took me two hours to do homework when I was in 2nd grade.
#2:  It took me 15 minutes....if that.
Me:  And you both had the same teacher.
#1:  I had problems when I was in the 2nd grade.
#3:  Obviously

After school and dinner, we went to the communion service at church. Well, first we went to Hubby's office while he had rehearsal for the service....

.....did I tell you how tired we all were last night?  This was right before the service.  Since we had already had a meltdown today, I really felt that this nap was much needed for #3 and would be great for us since he was sitting with us in service.

Boy was I wrong.  Through the ENTIRE service, this is what I heard from #3.....
#3:  Is it over?
Me:  No
#3:  I'm bored?
Me:  I'm sorry
#3:  I need to sleep.
Me:  Go to sleep
#3:  Can I have ice cream?
Me:  After the service
#3:  I can't get comfortable.
Me:  Try the chairs.  I'll hold you.
#3:  You are so mean...I want Daddy.
Me:  You can have Daddy in a minute.
#3:  I don't care if he's on the stage....he's not doing anything.
Me:  He's playing the piano.
#3:  I do not like you.
Me:  It's okay.  I love you.
#3:  No you don't. 
Me:  Yes I do.
#3:  I am done.
Me:  Me too...be quiet.
#3:  MOMMMMYYYYYYYY!!!! 
Me:  Shhh...people can hear you
#3:  I DON'T CARE!!!!
 ....people....this was for an hour....AN HOUR!!!!  And it was a fabulous service....and #2 was amazing!  But #3 just couldn't handle it.  I love this child with all of my heart.....through his meltdowns and all.  It was funny when I talked to one of my principals yesterday and he said "I like how you just laugh through things"....I told him it's my way of coping or I'd cry all the time. 

But yesterday's communion service was extra special.....#2 took him first communion and it was served to him by one of our small group families while Hubby played the background music.....

....I love that Jesus means so much to #2....warms my heart!!!!

Last night I filled out more paperwork than I have to do for evaluations.  #1 came home with a packet with so many colors of paper, I felt like I was in Kinko's.  It was crazy how many things I had to sign....and if I was smart, I would take one of their papers, fill out everything that would be the same and make copies and fill in the parts that were different.  That's what I'm doing next year....because I have better things to do than to sit at the kitchen table for one hour and ten minutes and fill out paperwork.  So obviously the first day of school means lots of homework for Mommy. 


Today was a tad bit of a different story....
#3:  Really!?!?!  We have to go back today?  I'm so tired!!!

Today wasn't the best for this girl.  At one point, I had to look in the mirror and say to myself "I will be 38 years old next week....I have no time for drama....I have no time to get angry or stay angry....I will not hold grudges....I will lean on God.  God will fix this....He's got this."  And you know what?  I felt much better after that.  I'm not a fan of satan and I know he's just trying to get to me.  Like, our car, for instance....spent over $800 on it today and now it's driving worse than before we took it in.  So now it's gotta go back to the shop.  I'm sure satan has a hand in that.....and I'm sure that the repair shop will be fixing it free of charge.....or I'm sure that I will have to look in the mirror again and say "it's not worth going to jail for....it's just a car".  All kidding aside, you might want to pray that the guy fixes it tomorrow.....and we are safe as we're driving it around. 

So at dinner tonight, we got "eclair ice cream".....
#1:  What are the pieces in here?
Me:  It's the pastry part of the eclair.
#2:  What's pastry?
#1:  A pop tart. 
....I almost lost it....this is because we buy "toaster pastry" boxes instead of "pop tarts".  I always tell the #s they are the same thing.....only the "toaster pastry" is cheaper. 

We're having a quiet night at home after the second day of school cuz we're all exhausted beyond belief.....
#3:  (terrifying scream.....like someone is killing him scream) AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
Me:  WHAT?!!??!?!  What happened?!?!?!?  What's wrong?!?!?!  Are you hurt?!?!!?
#3:  A spider!!!!  A spider crawled on my arm!!!!!
#1:  Did it bite you!?!!?
#3:  I don't think so!!!  BUT IT WAS A SPIDER....I'M NEVER GOING BACK IN #1'S ROOM AGAIN!!!!
#1:  Hummmmmm.....
Me:  Stop it. 
....so even though Hubby is at worship team rehearsal, I still expect him to be our knight in shining armor and find and kill this spider.....

.....seriously....all day, every day.....this is our life by numbers!