Sometimes you just get to the point where enough is enough. When your buttons are pushed one too many times and you are operating on way too few hours of sleep. I've not slept much this past week, but this morning was painful. Alexander crawled into my bed at 3:00 am. Because he had passed out in the car in filthy clothes I told him he could stay in my bed if we got some clean pajamas on him. He agreed. And that was my mistake today. Neither one of us fell back asleep. At 4:00 am we were both so wide eyed and bushy tailed that I told him he could watch some television. So Nick Jr was on for the next 3 hours. Really, what else could I do? Needless to say it was a long day and I was tired every second of it.

I am apt to lose my temper when I am overtired and stressed and when the kids cause me to lose my patience. This morning it was Rebecca. She was up at 6:45 and yet she could not pull herself together. She offered to pop some English Muffins in to the toaster. I didn't realize she was going to make them as she still was half dressed. But she was. I made a comment about the amount of honey she was putting on top of the peanut butter. In a rude tone she said "You do it that way." I told her I did not. To which she snapped snidely "Oh. Yes. You. Do." I'm not sure what happened, or how it happened. But she got slapped. By my hand. Seriously, I have had enough of her 10 year old attitude lately. More than enough. And then I read her the riot act for talking to me that way. And then I took away her television privilege and computer privilege for tonight.

We are supposed to leave the house at 8:15. As we were walking out the door at 8:25 she still wasn't ready. Her socks were not on. Her hair was a mess and she was still fiddling with stuffing everything in to her backpack. I came thisclose to leaving her behind. But she manage to catch the Bus (me) before we departed.

By the time we got to school I was so tired I couldn't see straight. I had a few things to take care of and was ready to head out to run some errands when I ran into a friend of mine who I had confided in. We sat down and I filled her in. She had been fiddling with her iPhone and I asked what she was doing. She was trying to locate the show times for the movie Fame. Then she asked if I wanted to join her. I probably should have made time for a nap, but I decided that it would be a fun thing to do. Movies are the greatest escape. This version was entirely different from the film shot in the 1980s but it captured the same essence, talent and raw emotion. It was a fun movie to see and this was the perfect afternoon to do it. We decided that we might make this a regular event. This particular movie theater has matinees on Tuesdays for $6. That's a way better value than an over-priced Pumpkin Spice Latte! (I can't believe I said that!)

I was able to get some errands and laundry done before and after the movie.

At 2:30 I noticed that someone had called my cellphone. I saw the school's number so I listened to the message. After all that crap that transpired this morning Rebecca left her gym bag in the back of the car. And her green soccer socks were at home. (She didn't know that. As Lady of the Laundry that is something I knew of for a fact.) She had a soccer game after school. Could I please bring it to her. Seriously? After all that??? I decided that I would bring it to her, but first I would take care of what I needed to do. She would have to wait. This was her responsibility. Not mine.

I got to school and it seemed that the game started a bit early. I ran in to give Rebecca her bag at which time she told me that she was not going to the game after all, that she was going to Girl Scouts instead. And she couldn't have possibly called to tell me this little fact too? As you can imagine I was liv-id. I stormed out of the building and waited for the boys to come out. Alexander greeted me first all covered in cupcake chocolate. I left him on the bleachers so I could get his brother. The minute I turned my back someone came running over to me. "Alexander fell and he is crying." Screaming was more like it. He was walking on the top of the bleachers. He tripped and fell. At that point I went back into the building with a screaming Alexander to find Rebecca.

I told her she would have to find her own way home. I reminded her of the chat we had that very morning. I remembered telling her that I would be leaving school as soon as it was over as Alexander had been up since 3:00. There would be no dilly dallying and no after school playground. I turned away and stormed out. She was stunned.

I had had enough. Again. Eventually we worked it out that she would go to the after school program called OWLS in the library and she could do some homework there and think about what she did. Daddy would pick her up on the way home.

I was not going to be at her beck and call.

I mean she had to learn her lesson, right?

At least she apologized when she got home.

But I'm getting her lip again. And I am about to lose it again.

So I think it's time to get a drink!