Send them with love, that they may return to give it

Every weekday morning...it's the same story.
Drag these kiddos out of bed.
Dress them, if I am so inclined(since they pretend to be dead).
Bribe them out of their rooms with reeses puffs cereal,
or some other pathetic excuse for sustenance,
and beg, no, plead with them to STOP HUMMING while eating!

After the battle is won, and the angels have nourished themselves, we sadly trail off to the bathroom.
Being a mother who does it all,
I proceed to provide them with pasted toothbrushes
( because toothpaste wars are sooo fun in the moringing).
As they lamely shove the brush back and forth,
I continue to coach them on their hygene.
"Please try to get all your teeth this time.
You really don't want them to rot out, do you?"

We won't discuss where the lovely dribble ends up.
Some things cannot be avoided.

I coax them to the front room where I slide their coats up their arms and hats upon their sleepy heads.
Drape them with loaded book bags, and attempt to focus their attention on the front door.


"Go ( for the love of all that is good and true!!!)".


They look at me forelorn, through the front windows.
They attempt to test the doorbell's limits.
They pull faces at their younger brothers. They even resort to wrestling on the front lawn-all in an attempt to "miss the bus".

I will not be swayed.
It usually takes about ten tries and an eventual deadbolt, but hooray for mornings when they actually catch the bus!!
It does, after all, stop directly at our front door step.

Those who homeschool are missing out on a really satisfying experience.