Day 3.

It is aways the worst, isn’t it?  It does matter what you are doing, or where you might have gone, day 3 will be your worst day.

And today . .  today was a day 3.

Third day back at school.  The excitement has worn off, the shine is gone from the experience and they hit a wall.

A really, really, really big ass, solid brick, painted black, right up to the sky wall.

And, being a exceptional parent who has years of experience with day three, I forget this one as well.

I think in the back of my mind I know it is going to happen, but maybe I am just going merrily along in the hopes that this time it is different.

LIke the third day of a vacation.  Day one, everyone is either travelling or sleeping in. You do all the firsts of everything, you eat treats, and you accommodate the “out of sorts” kids with a smile and a mile of patience.

The, day 2.  You spend your time doing the BEST things from day one. Your favourites. You laugh and enjoy the fact that you are “on vacation”

And then . . . the third day hits.  They are already bored of the fun stuff, the boring stuff is even worse. The food tastes funny, it’s too hot/cold/sunny/rainy/big/small (anything really, everything sucks) and they want to go home.

Everyone spends the day miserable, you wonder why you go on holiday at all. You try and entertain them and end up spending money you don’t want to spend on crap you don’t need and all you want to do is escape into your book at the side of the pool.

Once you get through the shit-storm of day three things get back on track. You come down heavy and realign attitudes and possibly drink too much wine sitting outside alone beside the duck pen.

wait. .  you probably don’t do that. I do that.

Because like a kettle reaching a boil, sometimes you need to let off some steam. And sometimes that steam is loud, it shouts and it may possibly even walk out the door while the kids are whining at the dinner table.

and once the heat is turned down, you get back to a gentle simmer and are able to face them again.  You get dinner finished, jammies on (well bedtime IS 7pm TONIGHT, my dear) and tuck everyone in with a weak smile on your face.

And finally, sitting in a quiet house, you cool off.  You know it was as much you as them, you get that, but sometimes it all gets so out of hand.  The bickering, the whining, the everything of having kids come home from school on Day Three.

And with everyone getting “more than enough sleep” tonight, you send up a silent prayer that tomorrow, with day 4, you will be back in the routine of things, ready for the weekend and in the rhythm of the days ahead.

Until christmas break, of course. .  . and the next DAY THREE.

And..while you are sharing my pain . .  click and vote for me in the Top Canadian Blogger contest. I will stop sobbing if you do?