Give them an inch...

they will so take a mile!

The school year is winding down. Everyone is antsy, fidgety and tasting summer that is just around the corner. The activities are kicking into overdrive before winding down with all of the "end of the year" performances, concerts and such. The sun is shining, the weather is heating up and we are all concentrating not on how to write in cursive or the order of the planets but what is the quickest way to get to the pool and work on our tans. The girls have been nothing less that stir crazy lately. It was time for an intervention.

We have what we like to refer to as "mental health" days. These are the days where I let them stay home from school, chill out and recharge. It's obvious we don't give a hoot about perfect attendance. Why, really? Astroworld is nothing but a great big green grassy lot now and who wants a free ticket to that? And I don't really think there is a reward that would top anything that I would do with my girls on a normal basis anyway. Unless it was actual seats IN the Astros dugout. So a "mental health" day was needed and one was had. On Wednesday. And honestly, I've kinda missed the little brats.

On Thursday, Abby wakes up with a headache and a stomachache. She did not partake in the mental health day. So it could have been a case of jealousy. Whatever it was, she got her break. Thursday afternoon as I discussing where to lunch with my friends (because that's all I do apparently) I received a call from the school nurse saying that Kathryn needed a change of clothes. Ironically there had been an extra set of clothes in her backpack all year, which I just removed on Wednesday since it was obvious they would never be needed. Oops. And not a problem we have had to deal with for well over a year now.

So instead of just running extra clothes up, changing her, patting her on the head and sending her back to her fabulous education...I took her to buy shoes. And sunglasses. And I reminisced about all the times that it had been just the two of us. And she told me those were the happiest days of her life. So then I bought her a cookie. And it was just perfect.

Friday morning, Emma wakes up with a sore throat. Emma who was not at all upset that Kathryn had left school early the day before. Your sarcasm radar should be going off. Although she honestly did appear to be quite miserable and instead of insisting that she just relax on the couch and watch Animal Planet, she requested to go right back to bed. Where she has remained well past lunchtime. However, there is another one partaking in the marvels of daytime television because after school had been in session a mere two hours...

Ring, ring, ring.

"Mrs. Parker, this is the nurse from the elementary school."

"You have got to be kidding me."

There comes a point in every female's life where she realizes her full, true power of manipulation and getting what she wants. Most women do not achieve that at age 5.

They've gotten away with murder this week, I will admit I let them and really didn't put up a fight. The thought of summer has me a bit stir crazy too. And while I have missed my children terribly in this first year "all by myself", I think I will be able to cope with the loneliness for the remaining 17 school days.

And unless someone is vomiting up the inner lining of their stomach or spurting blood from a severed limb, they'll be coping too. At school.