Football Can't Be That Bad...Stop Snoring!!

What can I say, I have had an entire week sans my kids...haven't gotten much accomplished. I am hoping that soon I will figure out what I am doing wrong and get back on track...if I ever was on track...that is. I can't imagine how I can get motivated. That might be one of my problems. I thought I had a pretty good imagination too. That can't be good. Max's football team had an away game in Sturgeon Bay. Notice I didn't say Max went to his football game. Yesterday after school I picked him up for football and he refused to go. I assumed this was one of his daily tantrums and he would eventually get ready and go. He didn't. I wasn't about to drag him out the door, so I called a friend and told him that Max wasn't coming to practice. At five thirty I finally talked him into going with me to the parent meeting that they were having after practice.When we got there I asked him if he was going to stay in the car and he said yes. When the boys finish their practices they always do a cheer where they pound on their pads and yell. I looked at Max in the car and he was doing it right along with his team. The kid likes football and I can't for the life of me figure out why he is fighting playing it so hard. So, anyway, this morning surprise surprise he said he wasn't going to his game. I was so tired of fighting with him I said fine, but that means that no one in the house is to do anything remotely fun. No video games, no movies, no computers. I thought maybe, just maybe, if he saw his actions were not only affecting him, but the entire house as well, he would go. No such luck. He still refused to go. So, I headed out giving the entire family explicit instructions not to let Max do anything that they knew I would disapprove of. I went to meet the bus at St. Jude's and ended up riding with some friends. We had a great time on the ride and at the game. Max called about half way through asking what was going on. I told him the score and that I would be home after the game. Gus called a little while later and asked if they pick up in the basement if they could have the video games back. I said there was no way they were getting anything back before I got home. A little while after that Chip called me. "When are you going to be home"? he asked. I said, "The game is only half over, I'll be home after it's done and we drive home". You would think he could have figured that one out on his own. Guess not. Despite my many interruptions I actually had a nice time at the game. When I arrived home, however it was an entirely different story. All the kids were fighting and complaining. They wanted to be able to play their video games. I made them clean up the mess they made while I was gone.Their dad was home, by the way, but sleeping, the entire time. I did let them on for a while because they did what I said, but then they started fighting again so I had to take it away again. This was my entire day. Fighting and punishing until I woke Chip up at four and made him get us some pizza. That appeased them for a few minutes. Long enough for me to catch a little sanity. We watched a movie together as a family for the first time in months and then when I told Chip I was going to go out for awhile he started in on the fact that I should stay home and spend some time with him. I was home the majority of the day with him, he just happened to be sleeping, is that my fault? According to him, yes. So, long story longer, I'm out and writing this. I guess I am just a bad mom and wife for needing sometime when there aren't six people constantly vying for my attention, or snoring in spite of it.