Spring Break Day ONE: Parenting via Lesser of 2 Evils...

(posting this a few days late, as I wrote this Monday, but forgot to publish until today, ooops!)

Today is day 1 of spring break and I am ALREADY asking myself, on parenting 'which is the lesser of two evils: excess sugar or TV?'

As I attempt to literally dig myself out of the mountain of post-vacation laundry, I notice it is eerily quiet downstairs....Any parent knows that QUIET for too long means TROUBLE 99% of the time.  So, should I be more concerned about the equal probability of my kids getting into their leftover Easter candy stash or sneaking in an excess episode of Mike the Knight? I cringe at the recognition that my parenting standards on days like today have fallen to such unworthy options...I was hoping to venture outside, thinking the temps might match the beautiful, clear, sunny skies. However, unfortunately with highs in the mid 30's, we will likely stay in today...

Pre-baby, I never imagined avoiding such 'lesser of two evils' would be considered a hurdle.  Parenthood is WAY more challenging and complicated than I ever could have anticipated.  Apparently I am not alone in this feeling, as there have been countless articles written on this topic...Articles along the lines of.... "I must apologize to all the Moms I judged before I had a baby"....blog posts like Kelly's hilarious one mentioned in my prior post...

...http://kensingtonbliss.blogspot.com/2013/01/a-letter-to-my-pregnant-child-less-self.html

In a perfect, wishful-thinking world, my kids would be helping to organize the mudroom (in our case pantry), cleaning up the craft shrapnel: the million pea-sized paper clippings under the kitchen table, READING to one another, putting away their clean folded laundry without stuffing it into a (now questionable dirty or not? state) in a random corner in their room...But they are most likely climbing to the top of the kitchen counter picking out their favorite candy and stashing the illicit wrappers in the sock drawer.

But, the reality is this: if I am to accomplish anything along the lines of unpacking/spring reorganizing/closet purging/paperwork sorting, I have to accept that my parenting standards must give in one way or another.  Some Moms (like my Mother-in-law, for example), seem to be born preschool teachers.  They have an endless queue of educational tricks of their sleeve, with which to keep the kids productive, engaged, and happy all day long.  I, on the other hand, seem to run out of such tricks by 9:30 a.m., and must resort to the 'lesser of two evils' parenting...

Luckily, we have some adventures planned for the week, including play dates, little gym camps, park, pool, etc....hopefully the weather improves so we can get outside to enjoy some sun! Outdoor fun always keeps the kids engaged and happy, and the fresh air seems to serve as a peace-tonic...warding off otherwise inevitable wrestling matches.

Until then, at least for today, I have to plow through my 13 loads of laundry, and hope my kids are not parked in front of the TV plowing through bags of M&Ms, Pez, jelly beans, and Starbursts.... ; )