I have no idea how people do it...

Its back to school time, we start right into the madness tomorrow. What a summer. I thought this would be idyllic-my little sweeties would play and take long naps, and dally in the sunshine and we would all be sun-kissed and sleepy from our exertions. It couldn't have been farther from reality. Well, we played, and they are sweet (most of the time), but we had quite a few struggles. Bailey is fast approaching three, and decided this was the perfect time to give up napping. This created a headache I could not seem to swallow. She was constantly exhausted, and really difficult to please. I expected three to be bad, but when we slipped through the "terrible twos" unscathed, I thought, "Gee, I've certainly done a fantastic job parenting! Look at my beautiful angel!" I'm sure I am not the first person to be tricked by an easy toddler and I won't be the last. Her behavior, good and bad, I'm finding, has little to do with me. She is a bear! Screaming so hard that she vomits, hanging on me to hold her constantly. Its been more of a challenge than I can tolerate. I find myself waiting at the door for my dear husband like a puppy. There's little he can do, though, to relieve the madness. By dinner time we are all exhausted, hungry, bored, and truly sick of each other. B starts preschool next week, full time. I'm hoping this will be exactly the stimulation and distraction she needs. Away from home, she's easy. We go to the library, shopping, parks-you name it-and she's a breeze. I keep her moving to avoid the craziness! I just don't know how people stay home with children all day long. I cannot imagine it. I look like hell, and I'm eating for three. Even though I was counting the minutes until school would end so I could hug and kiss my cuties all day long, now I find myself wishing I could get back in the classroom. As time does, its marching on, and we will be back in the frenzied pace of fall in no time. I'm sure I'll be missing them before I can even get through the front door of the school.