This year our kids are all over the place for summer break. Lauren is staying at home with Matt. We are paying her to keep him during the day. She loves it. Austin is working at my brother-in-laws landscaping business. And Rachel is doing the summer program with her school. 
This arrangement seems to be working well with everyone. Last year Matty and Rachel had a lot of transition issues. (You can relive those posts here and here ) This year Matt has had no issues but that is because he is at home. Rachel is still struggling. Her summer program goes from 8-12 but she gets on the bus at 7 and gets home at 12:30. Once the girl is home she gets her chores done and this is a total mess. She is bored. She misses her friends. She doesn’t want to be home with Lauren. She wants to go somewhere. She wants to be at work with me. Ummmm….I’m sure there are other whiny statements that she has made. This girl is stressing me out.
But not as much as Lauren and Austins bickering. It’s getting really out of hand. Lauren actually told Austin the other day, “to just go and die already.” This is to a boy who attempted to hang himself when he lived with his bio mom. AND she knows that cuz she was the one who found him. At first their bickering was funny because they picked at each other like an old married couple.
But now it is out of hand. It’s definitely crossed a line. I don’t know what to do about it either. I suggested that every time they bicker to sit them at the kitchen table together. Kevin said that was what their bio mom did and it’ll just drudge up bad memories. I was thinking in the shower that maybe instead that every time they fight badly make them play a board game with me and Rachel. Rachel is a board game freak. I wish I had the time, ability, and money for them to do a ropes course. They are amazing in situations like this.
Kevin and I are just trying to deal with the issues as they come and get through the summer. I hope someday we can enjoy the summer instead of just get through it. Do you think that is too much to ask.
