Whew, Does the fun end?

I think I have been feeling my kids stress more than usual because I've been having terrible nightmares that wake me up at 3am and my mind has a hard time settling back down. Today started with the normal routine of saying Bye to Dallin at 5:55am, then crashing until the last possible second at 6:30am when I wake up the rest of the crew and then rushing out the door to school at 7:30am. After this, I bathed Ben, (sometimes he gets his bath before we leave out of necessity), did dishes, mass cleaned Brookly's room and washed her sheets for Gardner's coming to stay today for a few days, did 3 loads of laundry, read to Ben, turned on Blues Clues, made lunch, put Ben in his room screaming and hitting the door to get out now that the crib is no deterrent, worked on my room since I took everything out of my closet a few days ago and am slowly trying to find the floor again in hopes of less clutter, and then took my shower. Thought I was doing good! I hung up the clothes and put the pictures in frames from Brookly's baptism and Ben's 2 yr. Then I woke up Ben and picked up the kids. When Brennen burst into tears before he got in the car I knew we were in trouble. He announced that he was being "removed from his classroom." I had no idea what that meant, so I waited for the explanation which Brookly promptly gave. There are too many students in the 3rd and 4th grade classes so they made a new combined 3rd/4th class with Mr. Ortiz. Any input on who Mr. Ortiz is is welcome. Brennen was randomly selected to go to the new class. He was sobbing and so upset. He really likes Mrs. Salamone and the project they are doing right now. Change can be so difficult! I understand the need for less students in a class and think he'll do great with a male teacher after he adjusts. He had a hard time finding friends and is afraid he won't have any in his new class. It is hard to start over.
Anyway, after homework time and going to the library and realizing we didn't have the movie that was due today so I needed to go again later I came home and made dinner, although not in time for Dallin to leave for Marching Band so he took a piece of Josh's reward pizza and caused an argument there. Wes's parents made it back from visiting with other family for dinner and what a blessing that they are here this week. With Wes working late Wed. because Scouts are doing a Swimming Merit Badge Thursday, I didn't know what to do for feeding the missionaries at 5pm. Now we can still feed them. This also helps for Brookly's Brownies, Scouts and Smith Open House all on Thursday evening. I was sad to miss meeting the famous AA World History teacher and now I'll get to meet her. Anyway, back to today... I went back to the library. Turned in the movie and then came home and started scriptures and prayer. Once most of the kids were in bed I helped Josh finish some homework that he didn't understand because he missed it when testing for ELP this afternoon. Then I answered some email, put the dates on the calendar for Smith Band, and then Dallin got home around 9:30pm. He came in and the first thing he said was "Now don't get mad -but I turned in a packet today for World History only half done." First of all, this is the very class we already have issues with. Second, the rule is if the grades slip we quit Marching Band. He knows this. I asked what happened and I felt panicked. Why do I worry more than he does? He said he misunderstood and thought he had 3 class periods to do the packet and get this, he actually had it at home every night and didn't work on it because he thought he'd have time. She asked for it at the beginning of class and he thought he had today during class to finish. An honest mistake, maybe, but every other person in the class understood and had it finished. AAARGH! Why this class? Why this teacher to deal with? I must have shared some of this with Dallin because he said, "I said not to get mad." Oh, I forgot that he can control my feelings. I decided to do nothing and reminded him of our agreement about his grades and his responsibility. I think the hardest part for me is knowing how this will affect his scholarship chances, which are our only hope for money for college, since he is a Freshman now. Granted, this is only one assignment but this is the second assignment already he said he didn't have time to complete in her class that he's turned in unfinished. That looks SO BAD to a teacher! Especially when we need special privileges from this teacher! Count to 10 or maybe 1000 and I'll have to deal with this until his grade plummets enough to pull him. Let's hope he pulls it together before I fall apart! I just want to do it for him and it is so hard to stand back and watch! Our personalities are so different in this regard. I can't stand to not have big assignments not done ahead of the due date or even leave a question as to timing, and he has already gotten up at 4:30am to try and finish assignments for classes twice in this first week! I love him and hope he can figure out a better system quick. We had a long talk with him Sunday and it looks like it didn't work. Actually, I need to remember that he has come home and started his homework quicker with no TV time, so that part sunk in.
On a different note: does anyone have any work Dallin can do to earn money? $450.00 before Christmas is just not in our budget and that's what it will take for him to make it to Texas to play at the Alamo Bowl with his Skyline Marching Band the day after Christmas. The first attempt to offset the cost is an Outback Steakhouse fundraiser for Sept. 18th. He needs to sell tickets for $20.00 and try to earn some of this money. Wes can't take this kind of thing to work and it makes it really hard when we hate to ask friends and family for money. We usually just buy the one ticket or candle, wrapping paper, chocolate, cookie dough,etc. fundraiser for the child and call it good. Not this time. We are desperate to help him earn this trip. Any suggestions would be welcome. He is a great babysitter and home on most Sat. nights. Friday nights he has to play for the football games. Josh can now babysit for us. That's my plug for Dallin. I really do love him so much and just want to see him succeed.
Another thing today: Wes's self appraisal for work is due today. He's still at work trying to finish this huge document. It has to recount anything of value he did this last year so that his company can base his yearly raise on this. Hopefully it will keep up with inflation this year.
Also, Jules and I are trying to set up going for Labor Day to finish the pictures of Grammy's. It will be a fast, work, turn around, come home trip.
So... this is just another day in the life of the Gardner household.