Five more days until they go back to school... five more days...

[LaraMN]

I'm never taking a summer off again.
I'm over it. I'm so done with being home full-time.
I put in almost ten years at home, and I have unequivocally had enough.

I had to take Jack and Sophie along to NoelMN's "group conference" for back-to-school, because my husband had golf. again.

The minute we get in the room and the teacher starts talking, Jack loads his diaper. He screams and shouts through the entire conference. I have to keep taking him out of the room. He wants to sit next to a woman with a broken leg and play with a ball in a sure-to-injure-her-further type of manner.

Jack is in school half days Tues-Thurs and FULL days Mon + Fri, starting next Tuesday.
I love the little hyena, but I CAN NOT WAIT.

I CAN NOT WAIT.

[KitchenWitch]

1. Lucky you, it is 7 days for me!

Why can't we start the day after Labor Day, like everyone else???

[LaraMN]

3. Because you've inadvertently cursed yourself

by leaving me.


:P

[KitchenWitch]

4. I have and you never fail to remind me!

:P

[Taverner]

2. But stayin' at home is your wifely duty

And to obey! Obedience makes a faithful woman!
:sarcasm:

[LaraMN]

5. At present, the extent of my "wifely" generosity is pretty much

composed of NOT locking everyone in the garage with a bucket and pitcher of water, while I run around the house kicking things and smoking until I vomit.

[Taverner]

7. Ahhh don't smoke until you vomit!

If you must, drink until you vomit

But smoking until you vomit derives you no pleasure

[LaraMN]

11. No, but smoking would.

I have lapsed back in to the "Gawd, I want a cigarette!" mode SO bad, this week.
I haven't had one, but I SOOO want one.

[Taverner]

13. Hmmmm can ya get some Nicorette?

That stuff amazingly satisfies...

[LaraMN]

16. Are you kidding me?

I've chewed about forty pieces in under three days.
Seriously.
It's not the same.

[Taverner]

18. Hmmmm it took a bit of adjustment for me

But I got used to the gum...

Nicotine was the hardest thing to quit - in fact I still haven't quit it. I got a patch on me now, although it's melting off due to the heat...

[LaraMN]

20. I've been chewing it for over a year.

I have issues with the prospect of being "chemical free." I don't like the idea. Caffeine just doesn't cut it, though.

[Taverner]

21. Hmmmm want some coca tea?

Trust me, it works MUCH BETTER than coffee or any kind of caffeine.

[LaraMN]

23. Does it produce massive, quaking jitters?

:scared:

[Taverner]

24. Nope that's the BEST thing

It doesn't make you jittery - just alive and awake

[LaraMN]

26. "Alive" sounds pretty good, right now!

Where do you get that stuff?

[Taverner]

27. Amazon

Just look for "Coca tea" or "Mate de Coca"

It tastes very mild, but it's the effect you're after

[LaraMN]

29. Ohhh! Thanks!

I may have to look for it. I'm going to need all the help I can get, once my classes start.

[Taverner]

30. Also check out Yerba Mate

You can mix green tea, coca tea and yerba mate tea together and have a fully 'alive' feeling.

[LaraMN]

31. Hmmm.

Might be worth trying after one of my all-nighters. I don't seem to recover from them as quickly as I did ten years ago...

[Taverner]

33. You just need to change the stimulants around

That way you don't build up a tolerance, or feel side effects (like jitteryness)

[LaraMN]

34. Yep- that's my problem.

If I knock down my tolerance, I get jittery/pukey from caffeine, and if I build it up to the point that I'm not bothered by side effects, it doesn't work.

[BarenakedLady]

6. I hear ya!

All three of my helli...sweet darling children will be in school full time this year. Woohoo!

First time in 10 years that I will have hours without a small child at my hip. :)

:bounce: :bounce:

[LaraMN]

9. Awesome, baby!

You should throw yourself a little party! That's a big deal!

[The Straight Story]

8. My daughter is already in her second week of 1st grade here

can't imagine her outside playing on the slides as it is 103 today. She plays under them she told me, more shade :)

[LaraMN]

12. 103?!

Yikes! Our summer's pretty much over, already.

[The Straight Story]

17. Well, I DO live in the desert hellhole called Bakersfield :) Gonna

Get hotter this week too, maybe up to 110 (had a 115 here earlier this year, was called at 110 at airport but news had it 115 at their studio about 5 miles from me).

[NC_Nurse]

10. I remember those days.

I spent 10 years at home with the little ones. Then went back part time so I could be off when needed for them.
I was SO ready for the "empty-nest"! My son's coming back this weekend from college and I'm hoping this will be it
until fall break. I was pretty sick of him when he finally went back to school two weeks ago!

I'm glad you'll be free soon! :-) Being at home full time is a lot harder than most folks realize.

[LaraMN]

15. I'm glad I did it, but I'm also glad to move forward.

That's one thing I look forward to about hitting my thirties (in a few months). My kids are getting older, and I get to think about "my" life a little bit.

[NC_Nurse]

22. I'm glad I did too.

It was worth every minute. I do remember feeling like I was losing it
at the end of every summer, tho. ;-)

[Shine]

14. Hang in there. Mine started yesterday.

:woohoo:

ShineGirl is a 5th grader this year and ShineBoy is an 8th grader. They're both the top of the food chain at their respective schools, so they're looking forward to a great year.

:hi:

[LaraMN]

19. I'm hangin'. At least I have the whole

"have to get back on schedule, for school" excuse to send them to bed earlier!

[Bjornsdotter]

25. I have felt your pain

...but this year, not! It seems to drag now but you will look back on these years fondly...now stop laughing, you really will.

I sent my youngest off to college :woohoo:

I'm free!!!!!!!!!!! Except I said I would teach at the after school program in a neighboring town. I am so regretting that, I'm ready to quit before I've started.

:toast:

[LaraMN]

28. Lol!

I'm a little scared about MY next semester of school. I downloaded the syllabus for one class, read it, and though "Oh, shit. I have three more classes."

[Bjornsdotter]

32. Yep

...truth be told I'm scared too. I haven't taught in 17 years and I taught college & HS....teaching 5th graders who are reading at a 2nd grade level scares me to death.

It also scares me that I'm not getting any support or instructional materials from the teacher running this program.

Good Luck on your classes...only 3, now I'm gonna bug you until you finish them.:spank:

:toast:

[philosophie_en_rose]

35. Frankly, there is an easy solution.

If you subscribed to my patented Free Range Children TM plan, you would not have this problem. You must liberate the children from the confines of diapers and nintendos and roofed housing. Instead, you must place your offspring in a densely wooded-area, equipped with a plentiful bag of my patented breadcrumbs (caution: may contain cardboard). Wait 18 years or however long it takes them to come home (whichever is latest), whereupon they will greet you fully-formed and grateful.

It's foolproof.