Summer Time Crazy | Raising the Boys

Summer is coming to an end. The evenings are still long and the heat still lingers, yet school is just around the bend.

And the arguing still persists.

The screaming.

The yelling.

The "keep your hands to yourself."

The "just leave your brother alone."

The slamming of doors. The banging on the walls.

Oh, the sweet, sweet sounds of summer.

Don't you just love it?

Guys, I love my children. I do.

But I need them gone. I need to find where my patience ... and sanity went to. Because Summertime is legit killing me. My brain doesn't function.

I'm constantly raising my voice - even though I've been trying SO hard not to. I really am. I try to be patient when the middle boy gets frustrated.

"Use your words, tell me calming what the issue is."

I try to remain calm my my eldest (ADHD/Autistic) boy loses his shit when he's told to correct a chore he didn't do right.

"Take a deep breath, I just asked you to move those dishes out of the cup cabinet."

I try, y'all. I really do.

But after the 25th time of saying something calmly. Saying something differently. Saying something positively - and it still doesn't work.

I lose my shit.

You know what the worst part is? I was away from them for 17 days due to military training. Seventeen days I missed them and wished I was with them.... but secretly enjoyed my quiet evenings alone in my barracks room.

You homeschool parents are my heroes. You truly are. I am counting down the days... the hours, the SECONDS until I can push the boys into their classrooms and "Hunger Games" peace sign the teacher and then RUN away.

End of August. The end is near ... the end is near.

How do y'all keep your sanity during the summer? In general?

Y'all I'm exhausted with School Shopping! | Raising the Boys

You know what?

"F" it.

School shopping is for the birds.

I don't want to do it.

Nope. No way.


Oh wait.


It's required?


Son of a bitch.

Y'all. I'm exhausted. School shopping is ridiculous. Add in a hyperactive child and an angry toddler. Yeah. Not anyone's dream activity.

This year, I have to admit though, we didn't have to grab as much shit as we have had to in the past years. Luckily, the "communal" buys this year was limited to gallon size baggies (for what? I don't have the slightest clue), one (yeah, you heard me right) ONE container of sanitation wipes, one hand sanitizer, one liquid soap, and four boxes of tissue. I mean, that's not bad. I didn't have to purchase "candy for prizes" or "beans for crafts" or "colored construction paper" or "a sketchbook for art" or a flipping "recorder" that he's only going to use one time. So I lucked out.

This year though, he won't be wearing a uniform, so we had to buy new clothes, but surprisingly that was cheaper than buying uniforms and shoes that were "one solid color that doesn't have a brand on it."

Well Shit .... just got done with Open House ... apparently he WILL be wearing a uniform. You'd think they would've mentioned that when I went into the front office to REGISTER him! DAMMIT! So off I go back to Marshalls and Walmart to return clothes so that we can purchase $15 embroidered polos. 

DAMMIT.

But y'all, I'm exhausted. We had to keep our elbows up in the isles of Walmart and grab things before other people's little buggers snatched things out of your hands. We had to fight the dressing rooms and keep a tired, hangry 2 year old. Our skinny ass son had to try on freaking 20 pairs of jeans until we could figure out what would actually stay up over his butt. We had to clean up a broken emoji biggie bank that is made of clay and within a toddler's grasp. We had walked the isles numerous times trying to find a fucking "ghostbusters pencil box that is so awesome." We had to negotiate the fact that not all Walmarts have the same thing and this pencil box is the same colors as the Charlotte Hornets.

Lemme tell ya, that picture above, it's not all the shit we got, but it's the important shit. And all in all we only spent a grand total of:

$236

We got off luckily this year. I know we did.

Parents.

God speed and good luck with your own

horrible

school

shopping experience.