Children Tyranny in the p.m.

 At  2:45 p.m. get in the car and go get the kids from primary school.

 At 9:01 p.m. sit down at the computer, like right now, to begin to do something for myself, of myself. Get my 'life' back. Be myself. Be alone. Be me. Think coherent sequential thoughts - get to finish a thought.  Think of something to do and be able to do it....

That's a 6 hour and 16 minute non-stop stint.

You don't believe it?

Listen, it goes something like this:

Get to the school and wait a few minutes for the bell.
Go get them, get their bags, their lunch boxes, their homework satchels.
Talk with their teachers, collect a term report for the youngest.
Collect them up again and explain now's the time to go.
They agree only on condition we go to the library.
Go home and get their library loans: books and toys.
Feed them a drink of milk, a biscuit. A sandwich.
Check the returning toys. Find parts missing. Search for them, find them, put them with the rest.
Get to the library.
Follow the smallest around to ensure no crisis. Compelled to go in the toy section with him. Wait endless hours while he makes a choice.
Answer the eldest's requests, questions. Help him. Borrow a toy for him (only allowed on an adult's card).
Muster them up process their loans and go to leave.
Wait for the eldest who's arranged another delay... meanwhile youngest disappears, probably roaming suicidally around in the multi storey parking.
Drive home.
Feed milk and ice cream cones.
Start making the dinner.
When it is made serve it up.
Stand around fetching and carrying through all the dinner period.
Wash up after dinner.
Get everything tidied away and everything prepared and then
Wash the youngest and dress in pajamas.
Tell the eldest to get showered.
Do the youngest's teeth.
Sit with them for three quarts of an hour watching t.v. bullshit until the youngest goes to sleep.
Negotiate with the eldest on when he's going to sleep.
Feed him his supper.
Sit around waiting for him to finish his final 'staying up for a little read' time.
Put him to bed, give him the ritual hugs etc...
Sit down. It is 9:00 p.m.

Doesn't seem so much to you, does it?  Doesn't seem so much to me when I look at it, either. But believe me when you live it you get a different impression

The Tyranny of the Children

I get up about 06:30, press the button, switch the computer on.

 And then the earliest I can ever get to sit down at it to do anything is something like 08:00.

 The time between is filled with making breakfast for the children, cleaning, dressing the children, washing them, packing their lunch boxes, etc.. etc..

 Even on an assembly line one has more freedom.

That's the kids thing.

 :)