What time is it? Summer time!

Today is the day when I start demising my evil little plan of bribery, reward, and consequence as my children will be out of school for the summer starting at noon on Friday.

I do it every summer and every summer I am just as nieve and gullible with stars in my eyes thinking that this will be the summer! The summer the fighting ceases. The summer that they will entertain themselves. The summer that they will keep their room clean. The summer that I won't be a short order cook for 4 very picky eaters. The summer that they won't ask for for something every 2 minutes.

I always draw up a chart with each name. They get points for "good" things like cleaning up after themselves, playing nice, one year I even bought them math activity books (aren't I mean!) and they got points per pages completed. I don't know why I think my stupid little chart would change their behavior, but a woman's gotta have dreams, right?

In the years past, they are very excited at the launch- they try their best and make sure that I'm remembering to keep track. Unfortunately, they catch on to my alterior motive by about July and everything goes to hell!

This summer, I have, but one, true motive. We are a strict 8PM bedtime house, but my 3 year old has this odd habit of singing in her bed in the dark until about
10PM. Then she is awake at 6:30AM. By noon, fahgettaboutit! She NEEDS her naps!

So although, my chart will give my kids the impression of high expectations, I fully expect: my house to be a disaster, several punches thrown, some hair pulling, no sharing, the phrase "I hate you" screamed several hundred times, and more dramatic whining than you can shake a stick at. Little do they know, if Beebs gets her nap, I'm going to be a happy camper!