Expanded Form My Foot

Some days are hard. Today was one of those days. The thing that set things rolling badly was expanded form. And this is not the first bad day I have had over stupid expanded form. Why does is matter that 72,023 = 70,000 + 2,000 + 20 + 3???????? Won't that come later? And why can't my two oldest children get this? We went through the lesson, we made a little craft with different place values, we watched a youtube video and still every single time they tried, they got it wrong. In the middle of the expanded form nightmare, Elsie came out of my room after napping just under an hour.....nope. Back in you go, little girl. And that didn't go over too well so there as screaming and tears. Ki has been in a constant state of fuss lately. We think it is a combo of teething and us not stuffing him every time he eats. This boy is getting chun.key. And he can put away an enormous amount of food. So, we have been trying to give him "normal" portions the past few days. And he ain't happy about it. Anderson was guilty of nothing in the episode because I have been letting him "play" geometry on a Pre-K website. He loves it. Annie was watching Anderson. They were sitting on benches in the school room. She came up to me and told me she had a splinter in her butt. Well, surprise surprise. Annie is the most injured child every to be born on this Earth. At least 47 times a day she walk up to me and shows me her finger, or toe, or gums or...... you get it. IT IS ALWAYS SOMETHING. It wasn't a splinter, it was just a little scratch and she wouldn't have had it if she was wearing something more than a leotard! Suck. It. Up. Annie. Oh, and I was in the middle of baking a batch of sandwich rolls, a loaf of bread, a loaf of brioche, and a batch of sweet potato biscuits. Hmm. It is discouraging to think I'm not in a place to be able to "do it all" yet as a mom of these six wonderful kids. Days are pretty okay if I just sit and help them with school and sit and let them come to me. But when I am trying to get stuff done my serotonin turns off. Which is dangerous. And is followed by asking for forgiveness. (Doesn't help that I forgot to take my Seratonin-helping meds last night.)
Having a baby is hard. It was hard several years back when I had one baby after another and it is hard now. There is something about a kid who knows what he wants but has zero ability to let you know what that is. It is hard to have a 3 year that doesn't understand what you are telling her and why she has to go back to bed. Elsie's go-to communication is "Ehehehehehehehehe!" If someone shuts the door she squeaks "eheheheheheheeh." If she wants the light turned on she squeals "eheheheheheheheeh." If she needs to be wiped she whines "eheheheheheehe." Hard.
It is hard be responsible for your children's education. It is hard not having the quiet of kids-are-at-school time. It is hard wanting your family to have good nutritious food to eat. It is hard being on a budget that keeps you from just buying the good-for-you things at Whole Foods. It is hard to deeply feel it every time a kid has a microscopic boo-boo.
I'd say today was the hardest day since we got home. I'd say today as the hardest day in years. Which really is pretty darn good. I'm am so glad that most days aren't like this. And I am so glad that God's mercies are new every morning.