TheBanyanTree: not a day too soon

[Julie Anna Teague]

School started today.  And I really mean it--not ONE DAY too soon.  See,
for the last two months I've tried keep my darling sons, who are almost 14
and 11, under control and somewhat entertained, from my office while I
worked 30 hours a week. I signed them up for activities at the library,
saw that they had plenty of books (which they never read), art materials
(which they never used), paint-by-numbers (ditto), stationary and stamps
(for letters they never wrote), etc.  I've given them chore lists and
extra-job-for-money lists.  The chores barely got done, and only with
nagging.  The extra jobs never did get done.  We even went on vacation for
crying out loud.  And yet, they complained, they were completely and
utterly and painfully bored to tears.  They were calling me all morning
long at work with emergency questions like: "You left vegetable peels in
the sink and there are fruit flies all over them. What should I do?"

Urrrrr....

And then last night, the final straw:  I was trying to get them involved
in an art project, which neither of them was interested in. Seth did amble
by and pick up the bottle of rubber cement I was using, and scan the
label.  He asked me, "Did you know that rubber cement is EXTREMELY
FLAMMABLE?"  And then said, "I've got to TRY that!"

I'm telling you, public school may not be all it could be, but at this
point it is saving my children from themselves.  And me. 

Julie