ARGH!

It's a bitch session blog because taxes suck and so does starting the day with whining children.
I was up way past my bedtime last night doing taxes. Why so last minute??? They we're my taxes they were his taxes. In typical testosterone fashion the were procrastinated until the very last minute, well almost it did get done before midnight. This was the first year I have actually done taxes (as in not hired a preparer) in at least ten years and I didn't even make enough this year to file! Not even enough for the economic stimulus deal. Stay at home Mom, hard work, no pay. This is also the first year since 1998 that I could have filed as single. What a strange realization that was. Here I am very committed to a wonderfully loving relationship, which is very different from where I have been for the last decade. I am very pregnant with my partners wiggly little baby. We are raising a huge family together...yet I can file single!?. I hate the way the government and society labels relationships and determines who qualifies for what based on their outline/morals of what a family should look like.
Needless to say I didn't sleep well after sitting in front of a computer screen and staring at tax info for hours. We crawled in bed and put on one of our favorite movies...Princess Bride which he had picked up a new copy of on his way home. He knew I was going to need a cuddle in bed and watch the dumb box night after the crazy day I had with the kids and then doing taxes after they went to bed. He was even good enough to buy treats for movie time! We didn't make it very far past the fire swamp before crashing hard. Although it was a night full of tossing and turning, strange dreams and emptying the pregnant bladder. All of this adds up to not enough sleep - not a good way to start a day.
It all started out fairly well, every one was awake by the time I went to rouse them! I got lunches prepared for the two kids headed off to field trips and that's where the trouble began. My eight year old wanted a cold lunch...normally this wouldn't be a problem but we have had no cash for anything including groceries. The assistance we applied for hasn't come through yet and we don't have enough for everyone. Since they all qualified for free hot lunches I reminded him of this and talked to him about all the choices the school offered for lunches - this still wasn't good enough. Then his fit switched causes...he couldn't find socks. Why not...well because none of his dirty socks made it to the laundry. This is one of the situations I refer to as 'not my problem' every basket of laundry I receive I wash dry and fold. It is they're responsibility to put the dirty clothes in the basket and put them away when they are clean! GRRRRR so why is this a constant problem? I had two older siblings help him look for socks in the random sock basket (it's where all the left over mis-matched socks end up) and both helped him to find socks. The HUGE problem with that was the first kid found two socks of different sizes that obviously didn't match...this would JUST NOT WORK! The second kid found him two matching socks-miraculous!!! This however wouldn't work either because they were his sisters socks! Now these are not pink frilly lacy socks they are plain white ankle socks with the brand name on the toe in a pale purple...not super girlie looking. What mattered was that he knew they were hers and would not I repeat WOULD NOT wear girl socks to school. At this point we have five minutes to leave. The walkers have already left for school and the car riders are all waiting on this one kiddo. I literally had to sit him down and put on his socks, shoes, jacket, and back pack all while he was screaming and throwing a fit. He did at least make it to school on time. He was angry with me still but didn't refuse to get out of the car so at least that battle was avoided. Time to take stock and be thankful for the good things.
Everyone got out of bed on their own and on time!!!
Six out of seven kids got dressed with no problems!!!
There was enough lunch stuff to make cold lunches for the two headed off on their first field trip together!!!
My pre-teen was not only nice this morning but helpful and understanding!!!
The weather was nice enough that the walkers could walk and I didn't have to scramble to arrange for a ride.
The house is now almost quiet as only one is left at home until noon.
I get to nap today!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am thankful, we are blessed and the day will turn around again, and again, and again.