ARGH, what a week

This has not been the greatest week. I ended up not going to park day after telling people I'd be there. I completely forgot to take dd to a field trip she was supposed to go to on Tuesday (I had a headache all day and for some reason did not have this trip written down anywhere!). I had a super runny nose and some coughing on Wednesday. I've just felt generally unwell. I had to bring the van into the garage because it was making clunking noises--I originally booked it for Thursday and had to change it because I remembered two days later that I needed to drive the oldest Thursday. To boot, our stupid dishwasher has been leaving more gunk on our dishes. (It washes really well, but it's like food particles stay stuck in the rinse water and get deposited on the dishes.) Oh, and a string broke on our large blind in our dining room. Since the blinds are old and not the colour we really want to have anymore, that means replacing that one and the other in the kitchen. A cat had a hairball in the basement. The younger cat decided to drink blue-dyed water--with her paw.

I had the two oldest back yesterday and today and planned to take it fairly easy, knowing full well that we'd spend lots of time talking about their trip when they came back on Thursday and I just figured we've got a full week next week to really work hard. We did do some work this morning, but the oldest spent her work time trying to work out a second semester schedule for herself. After all that, her brother says, "We're not going to be here Wed." What???? They're going to a dive meet and will be gone Wed.-Fri.

I'm feeling so stressed with everything apparently falling apart around me. lol. The oldest is already so behind in her science, behind in her math (and had planned on doing about 6 hours a week in each) has got a fair amount to do in English and now she's only going to be here two days???????????????? (And she knows it's not the greatest timing--she had a somewhat guilty look on her face when she confirmed they'd be gone. I had finished going over what she had left to do and the scheduling not more than an hour before.) I think what stresses me is that I'm worried she's not going to do what she needs to in order to get on top of all of this. (I know on some level this isn't my problem--it's hers to deal with, but I am still somewhat responsible for her education.) 3 days missed of math and science is 3-4.5 hours of each not done. 6-9 hours of work in all. When she's already behind. And she won't do this stuff on her trip (especially not the math)--they usually keep the kids so busy they don't have time to do homework stuff anyhow. She *might* read her novel, but that's about it. She reads soooooo slowly, too. ARGH.

But it's not just about her. Here I was, getting ready to start something new with the 12yo to really increase his language arts and math time and I've got two days to try it out, but the two days will be modified so that his sister really gets more math and science time in. *sigh* He's basically done nothing for a month now because he's been sick and away on trips. What is he going to accomplish in two days? If I'd known ahead of time that they would be gone, I would have been more insistent and structured about yesterday and today. (Although, on a good note, he's quite interested in beginning the Ray's math series!)

And then, after having some great work days with just dd and ds and a nice flow without me deciding everything, dd goes back to her old ways this morning. Everything was frustrating, she didn't know what to work on. She was convinced I was working on other stuff and wouldn't work with her. There's something unconscious in her with the others here that changes how she sees work or the help she'll receive.

Heh, I just had the thought that I can discuss with the oldest the fact that she's going to have to figure out a way to catch up on all the work that she won't be getting done, especially since her birthday's coming up and we usually take the day off for their birthdays. (You get where I'm going with this, right?) I'm mean, aren't I? lol. It'll be her 16th birthday. Oh, which reminds me, I need to get her a gift. I know what I'm getting her, just got to find a place that has it.

Now that that is all vented, I feel better, am not so stressed and know it'll all work out in the end. I also know that I'm going to place the primary burden on the 15yo to figure out how she's going to get done what she needs to.