Pity Party...no admission fee

33 days 4 hours and 13 minutes and I'll be dropping of my youngest two at school and planning a self indulgent day without children. Is that wrong? Yeah...I thought so.

I'm not sure whose bright idea it was to have a summer vacation for children that lasts 3 solid months, but IMO, they should have been shot. Or at a minimum, been required to stay home and find a way of keeping 4 active children happy for those 3 months. Without the use of a TV. I don't think it's possible although I have no doubt that there is some parent out there who is quite content to listen to their children fight and bicker and whine because (select all that apply): 1. They're bored 2. There's nothing to do 3. It's too hot 4. It's too cold 5. It's too rainy 6. All their friends are busy...feel free to add your own.

Oh, don't get the impression that my children do NOT have all the 'right toys'. We have DSs, X-box, Ipods, books galore, computer. And if they STILL find a way of coming to the boredom place, I am more than willing to find them chores that need completed (and if even attempted, I'd have to redo). They've been to the boundary waters, to their grandparents cabin, to friends' pools, to amusement parks, to summer camps with the state fair on the horizon. Poor little dears...nothing to do. So, you unwittingly walked into a pity party of epic proportions. I.AM.DONE.WITH.SUMMER (actually, I like summer, I'm done with 4 kids being home 24 hours/day.)

And even as I try and get a little excited about them going back to school, they find a way to squelch my joy:

My oldest (son) has informed me that the black and red Champion back pack I purchased for him last year, that he chose not to use (for some unbeknownst reason) and still looks new, he will again not be using this year. It looks too babyish. I'm tempted to buy him a Sponge Bob backpack for comparison purposes. We even brought it up at dinner offering him $100 to carry a Sponge Bob backpack and he declined. Then he informed me that the two shirts I had purchased for him last week during the GAP Give and Get sale, he will not wear...for no other reason then they came from Old Navy. They were simple shirts that would have worked with several pairs of his plaid shorts. No...if it's not from Pac Sun or Hollister, he won't wear.

My oldest daughter has worn, ever single item purchased for her for school last week. Every.Single.One. After being told repeatedly that the new items were for school. I can already hear the ..."but everyone has already seen me in that" argument for new items before school starts. Tough.

My middle daughter arrived home from Safety Patrol Camp on Friday night. I was SO excited to see her and she was SO animated and happy to be home. For about 15 minutes. Then, she went to the ugly place. She is currently in the throes of "Jan Brady Syndrome" and it took her a good 18 hours to come out of her mood and only after having HER school shopping pulled because of her behavior. Not the way I wanted to start our first day with her home in 6 days.

And finally, my youngest. I'll just say she is a blonde haired, blue eyed Grendel. She has thrown so many tantrums these days that there isn't a decision made in this house that doesn't go her way that is tantrum free. It's going to be a long road to Tantrumfreeville.

So, I am ready for school to start. I'm ready to put their smiling (and if they're not smiling, I don't give a rip) little faces on a school bus (ok...only one will be riding a bus). My oldest will be walking to school (the 1.5 miles on a highway...or the 2+ miles on sidewalks). The youngest two, I have the honor of dropping at school. I'm anxiously counting the days.

Then the pity party will be over...and the real party can begin...heh, heh, heh...