Days of Irritability

Face it.  There are days when your kids want nothing to do with each other, and there are days when you really  want nothing to do with them. That's the kind of day we are having at our house today.

Yes, today is Valentines Day, but there are no cherubic little angels to be found at this house.  If they were all independent learners and could stay on task, I would send them to their rooms (actually, that wouldn't work because two of them share a room).  

It's been a constant cacophony of complaints.  Mom, he's humming.  Mom, she's sitting too close to me.  Mom, look.  She's not really doing her work.  And over and over:  Mom, (s)he's annoying me.  They have whined and yelled, grumbled and growled.  And mom is fed up with it.  

I started out the day in a good mood, really I did.  I intended to accomplish much today, both in their schoolwork and around the house.  Instead, I find myself accomplishing little and just wanting to crawl into a closet and hide from them.

Maybe that's the key.  I should send myself to my room.  The thought makes me smile, but I know it would just make them behave worse and then I would have WWIII to deal with. 

So how do you deal with days like this?  I know I'm not dealing with this one too well.  My plan? Why, I'm counting the minutes until they go to bed.