Today is Thursday and on Thursdays, my kids are responsible to make their own breakfast. My husband has Bible study and can't help them. I work from home and I can't help them. They are more than capable. I told them time and time again this morning to go make breakfast. My kind reminder occurred about every 3-5 minutes for about 15 minutes straight until finally I got irritated because I had to stop working and literally go get them into the kitchen. They are finally in the kitchen getting breakfast and all disburse to the playroom where they proceed to fight over the fort they just built (you know, the one they built instead of getting breakfast....). Then I promptly jumped up to break up the fight (even more agitated than before) now discovering that they built a massive fort that would take quite a bit of time to clean up before school could even start. Yeah - I lost it right at that moment! I tore down their fort with determination and lots of loud words. By now, I am fuming and everyone else is crying. Okay, okay. Time for apologizes in hopes that I can still salvage the day - mind you it is only 8:10 AM.
Everyone finishes breakfast and we meet at the table for DITHOR at 8:30. Things look like they are on the up and up. I got this!!!
Well......no 
. We do our discussion time and everyone disburses to do their reading mostly independently - I make all of them read 2 pages to me and they rotate through. I have my youngest start by reading her 2 pages to me first. Then my oldest. And finish with my middle child. Today my two youngest have a vocabulary activity page. I help them with this while my oldest is working on a prediction assignment - she must read 1/3, write something, read 1/3, write something and then read 1/3 and write something. Well, halfway through helping my two youngers with their vocab activity I smell nail polish. Yes, nail polish! I jump up and my oldest is in the other room just happy as clam painting her nails. 
Painting her nails! Seriously?!?!?! So, I took it from her and threw that nail polish bottle in the trash. Okay, she is back to crying. I am back with the other kids. She eventually finishes her DITHOR in record slow time and emerges from her room with a scowl. I am not gonna duck and cover but I also don't know that I care to linger in the room with her either. However, it is her time to spend with me one on one. I embrace the challenge like a kid gulping bad medicine! We manage through her Genesis study and math lesson. By the end, I no longer feel like she thinks I am her mortal enemy but also know that we are far from being BFFs. She moves on with herself to independent items.My turn comes with the youngest child. I just love her today! She did everything asked and with a good attitude!
Next - Sam (DS). Oh my goodness. I think WWIII just happened in this house! Sam had to read a book today and the there were quite a bit of words but all of them easy. He throws himself on the ground and says, "I can't read that. There are too many words. The words are all too small." all while crying and flailing/thrashing on the floor like a fish out of water. I told him to go sit in time out until he calms down. He goes over there and starts to gather himself (time out works great for him when he truly just needs a bit of time.) Then he emerges better grouped but with significant vocal reservations about the task I have laid before him. So I told him, "If you can't read the words, get a magnifying glass then." He does LOL. He goes and sits on the ground looking like a detective studying evidence for the most minute detail. About 30 seconds later I hear, "Hey mom, these words are so easy. And don't even need the magnifying glass."
Then he looks and sees that he has to copy a paragraph for the Draw and Write through History book in cursive. Again, he is back down to the floor carrying on. I tell him to go to his room or the time out chair till he calms down. He does. He comes back to me once he has stopped crying with his lined paper and book in hand. He sits down at the table, opens the book and notices that there is capital cursive O on the page. Again, the tears flood his face with a loud screech following, "...but I don't know how to make a cursive O." Uhm...seriously! The writing is already in cursive people!!!!! LOL. My goodness! I am struggling at this point to not laugh in his face because it is just so ridiculous. I need to gather myself! I told him that if he can't remember, just print a capital O in regular writing. He ends up looking at me like I am the crazy person and ends up writing it in cursive anyway. Okay..... WHATEVER!!! Then I read to him for our together stuff and it is now time for him to complete vocabulary. The look he gave me was like I told him that the dog died or something. Uhm....time for lunch! I can't take it anymore.We have now had lunch and he just did vocab on his own. My day is finally turning around. But who knows - give it 5 minutes and I am sure we be passing around the tissues for when the floods open on my kids faces.
I am not asking for prayer or anything. Honestly, today was such a rare day but I knew this day was coming. No one really wants to be in school by now and the newness and excitement has worn off. I guess we are back to the grind. I only shared this because I want others to know that you are not alone if you are having a bad day. For me....when this day is over....we are all going for ice cream. And no school tomorrow either. I am taking it slow. But today, I am just going to have to wear my hat of self-control and seek the Lord to make me shut up when I am ready to scream.
) our day has started out rough too. Bad attitudes and selfishness. 
My baby is due in 1 week, so I am trying to be diligent to get our school work done before the upcoming break. Sometimes (on days like this in particular) I wonder how in the world I can continue to be a good homeschooling mommy with another sweet baby to care for? I am amazed at how quickly kids can forgive and move on (compared to adults!), and so I thank God that when the days are rough, we can address all our bad attitudes, take breaks if needed, apply consequences if needed, and move on. It is not fun or easy. I prefer the easy days. 
I see your kiddos' smiling faces and their good schoolwork - you are doing a LOT right, and so are they! Remember that, in the midst of the one off.