Divide and Conquer

A girl could get used to this! I think I have been going about all of this the wrong way. I need to divide and conquer. The kids are so much easier to handle when they are not all together. I always feel like I have to be at everything they are doing along with everyone else. Why? I spend so much time with them, I think it may be too much time. They expect me to be everywhere and I just can't be and it stresses me out. It would be better for me to go to some of their things and be in a good mood than to be at all of their things, but in a bad mood. Not everyone needs to be at every event. Take this weekend for example. Gus' baseball season snuck up on me. We had all planned on going to Stevens Point for the dance competition together but on Friday morning, yes, the day we were supposed to leave, I went to check to see if he had any practices while we were going to be gone and low and behold his first game was that very night. I have never claimed to be an organized person, but this was a major oversight even for me. I had two rooms reserved and had started packing. I hurried to cancel the second room. Luckily, it was an idiot approved hotel and they didn't charge me. I was quite upset at first, because of my stupidity, mostly, but the more I thought about it, I started to get excited. I was looking forward to a weekend without all of the family. This trip is stressful enough without having to worry about everyone. So, other than my bad planning skills, it all worked out for the best. If Chip is willing to take on a little more responsibility and I am willing to take on less, it may just be kind of pleasant, I say as I'm relaxing at the pool. I reserve the right to change my mind at any time and probably will as soon as the kids start bugging me for something or if that kid across the pool doesn't stop that ear piercing scream. I have a very low screaming and, for that matter, whining tolerance. I can't stand either. I don't know if my kids don't do it because I discouraged it or if they just aren't that annoying, but Eddie is falling into the perpetual whining trap. Practically every time she asks for something it is in a whine. I ask her to stop and she says she isn't whining she's just talking. That is a ridiculous argument to have with a five year old because they have whine resistant ears. To them it does sound like they are talking normally - they are not - but I digress. Well, I guess the lesson learned for today is to not feel so guilty when I can't make it to everything my children are involved in and to not make family participation mandatory. Family togetherness is wonderful-to a point. I'm beginning to believe that there is a fine line between loving to spend time with your family or hating that time. Hopefully I can find that line and stop crossing it.