The sound of waves on the beach is very soothing. The sound waves of childhood crisis…not so much. Today has been one wave after another ever since the kids got home.
First Link did his daily stomping before settling down to finish his writing assignment. This was accompanied by requests for food from Gleek and Patch while Link loudly insisted that everyone had to be quiet so he could write.
Next came Kiki with whom I needed to sit down and do an extensive post mortem about an ongoing difficult situation. She also had ancillary stresses which needed dissection.
During the lengthy discussion with Kiki, Patch needed food and I had to explain/remind Gleek and her friend that due to Saturday’s territorial infringement’ the bedroom which Gleek and Kiki share is off limits to friends for the rest of the week.
Somewhere in the middle there was about 30 minutes of non-crisis where I went outside with a shovel and dug up a thorny weed.
Then came the crying disaster that Link got to go with his scout master to work on a swimming merit badge while Gleek did not get to go swim.
Following that there were the dropped mini, arguments over dinner, the wanton destruction of the domino constructions created by others, children claiming themselves to be stupid and/or mean while hoping that others will make them feel better, and other random emotional conflicts.
Around 7 pm Howard called me into his office.
“You look like you need help.” I think it was the thousand yard stare that clued him in. So he went out for donuts and then there was bedtime.
Some days “bare minimum” is harder than others.