Terrible, awful, very bad morning

Let's start with that I am overwhelmed, exhausted and just at my wits end. I do not believe that this excuses what I am about to share, but I just needed to explain the background.

I have been busy, REALLY busy, work has had me putting in 60-70 hours a week, add to that classes for me and taking care of a house and three kids. I have been begging, pleading for help, for my family to do something to make the house neat and clean again like I keep it.

I reached my breaking point this morning when I went to wake my girls and found both their room and Grayson's room trashed, and I mean destroyed beyond recognition. To make matters worse, they had shoved, yes SHOVED, paper behind and around their beds, which makes it a fire hazard. Had their father been in there last night, YES, did he make them clean it up, NO!

Then, in trying to locate Gray's sneakers, I see the playroom was equally trashed and destroyed. I have two other little ones coming home with me this afternoon, and now I had no where to let them play!

So, I put everyone in the car for school, the girls were crying because they had been put on restriction, so I took Gray to school first knowing the girls would be late. Then I decided, they are off tomorrow and they can stay home today and do the clean up. I know, I know, whip me, but sometimes school can wait. I know, I know, it is just a mess and they could do it later, but I don't have time later, to be honest, I don't have time NOW, so school can wait. Yeah yeah, school is important and it is their education blah blah blah, ah well I am getting my doctorate so I am well aware that school is important, and I am pretty sure I can catch my 3rd and 1st grader up on anything they missed today. Was it the best decision, maybe not, but when they and my husband can catch on that I work TWO jobs and go to school full time, maybe we won't come to this.

So, they are cleaning, I just did some of the massive amounts of work I need to do, I need to go get the three littles, feed them and figure out a new plan. I did talk to Emily about using the red, yellow and green light like they use at school. Except here it everyone starts at red, and then if homework, chores and general behavior is good you can move up to green. Screw self esteem.