I don’t know how she does it

Poorly, quickly, messily, and with a lot of drama, usually!

I’m not doing much these days. I’m homeschooling, I’m occasionally getting a glimpse at Oprah, I’m seeing My Chemical Romance once in a while. Animal is sick, Mineral is his usual crazy self. The Informant is very helpful around the house, My Masterpiece is one stubborn kid. And, REPEAT. It’s not very exciting, and then it’s 10pm, and then it’s nursing 24352352x/night and then it’s 7am and it all starts again.

I cook, I send My Chemical Romance + a kid or four, to Target for groceries, I wear TD in a sling/carrier/wrap, I eat.  I put away laundry. The kids do their laundry, put it away, pour milk on cereal, make peanut butter and jelly, ride their bikes, color, fill out workbook pages, and vacuum.

I’m working on life with Mineral. He is a challenging child. I’m reading “The Explosive Child,” for some suggestions on making life with him easier. He is very easily irritated by his siblings; being the oldest of five doesn’t help. Food is another difficulty. He is very rigid about what he wants and doesn’t want — and often what he wants/doesn’t want conflicts with what the family needs/doesn’t need. He is inflexible and anxious — and I empathize greatly — and parenting him is hard.

I’m also reading “Punished By Rewards,” by Alfie Kohn (I just almost wrote Kofie Annan, LMFAO! I’m tired!) While I find the subject fascinating, I find the actual writing itself very very dry. And for someone who is sleep-deprived, dry writing doesn’t help.

Bedtime. Nursing time.