Drivers Permit

L got her permit yesterday. Aced the test in about 5 min. She had procrastinated and worried about it. Wanted to take the test without studying and then retake it and I convinced her to just read through the book and she'd have no problem. Then she was peeved because a lot of sections weren't on the test at all. I was peeved because I wasn't thinking ahead and didn't have her birth certif so we had to go to the bank first. Then we got stuck behind a woman in line that took over a half hr. 2 hrs gone from my life for a 5 min test. And I got my license renewed too. Now we get to start driving!

L is going to All State Speech. She has just had a great year - Opus Honor Choir, Best Female Vocalist at one Show Choir competition, top ratings in some of her speech and vocal groups. What remains is musical and dance recital.

If I don't brag about the others as much, it is because the lower grades don't get so many awards. M holds the school's all time record for the most math objectives. She won her shool's science fair last year. E is just finishing her SF project and has been very diligent about it, doing it all herself. I've been trying to read more with S.

MH

Spring Break

Break started Friday. I stayed home from work. Did a lot of laundry. I had plenty to keep me busy, but some kids got bored hanging around the house. They need more excitement.

On Saturday, I worked all day and kids stayed home, except for L who was out of town at a speech contest. She got 3 #1's, the highest she could get. Was nice weather and kids played outside. S went to a friends.

Today, Sun. Church, then shopping. Got S a 1st communion dress - white with small purple flowers. Not traditional, but things aren't traditional any more. They are not having a special 1st communion mass, so a slightly different dress is perfectly acceptable.

Tomorrow, ice skating and Chinese buffet and swimming!

Tues. - I work all day.

Wed. - L&M get vacinnations. No plans after that. Perhaps take cat to vet, sew, clean, exercise, walk, organize. Exciting break.

MH

Disregard the Previous Message

Did I say I felt caught up? After being gone 2 weekends and working 2 weekends, I've fallen behind again. Managed to get the living room/kitchen cleaned and my taxes organized. That's it. And I'm working again this weekend. But then it's spring break and I've taken some time off here and there.

Oh, and besides being a poor housekeeper, I'm a lousy mom and make one of my daughters cry every night.

Back when I first wanted to adopt and I asked my friends with kids if parenting was hard and they told me 'yes,' I didn't believe them. I didn't consider that it gets harder the longer you do it. Most life skills don't work that way. But as kids get older, they seem to get harder. They reach a point where, as a parent, you can't do anything right. Helping another child with homework is seen as cruel favoritism. Everything you say or do is the wrong thing. And if you would have done the exact opposite, that would have been the wrong thing too.

Being older probably doesn't help either. I'm tired. By bedtime, I'm the one who's tired. After an arguement, I'm the one who says, "I don't care any more." And parents just can't give up. They have to hold the line. That's when the husband is supposed to step in and let me get my second wind. A husband also comes in even more handy during the middle/high school years. Lately we have so many activities going on. 4 events for 5 kids last night, so we had to not attend 2 of them. If there were 2 chauffeurs in the family, we could be 2 places at once - a very handy parental skill.

MH