In the Race

Ok, so I'm losing dismally, but that's only because I haven't spent enough time in blog-land to accumulate the points. So here goes.

1. I must get some points for going back to school--so utterly selfish. I mean, really, there is no purpose behind this MFA. I leave my children for 11 days straight twice a year, and ignore them when I'm home (so I can read children's literature. But not to them, mind you.)

2. The other day both my boys had nose bleeds. Now, I know the scenario would be better if I GAVE them the nosebleeds, but let's not be too ambitious here. We were driving to pick up the Gingerbread Man and when we got there, I got out of the car, talked to GBM for a bit, then saw Will's face when I got back in the car and there was blood smeared all over it. Nice. I hadn't even noticed through the entire drive. He's got a gusher and I'm crooning along to radio tunes. Later, just so he wouldn't be left out, Samuel had one too. Then he had another one. Then Will started crying so hard (probably because I yelled--another point?) that he started bleeding again too. I take no points or credits for Samuel's bleed. But maybe Will's sadly neglected state?

3. This next one might not qualify me for points either, but I spent the entire day reading Harry Potter. Will kept asking me very sweetly to come play with him.
Me: "In just a minute, sweetie." Then twenty minutes would go by.
Will: "Mommy, come play with me."
Me: "How about if you set up the train tracks and when you're all done, I'll zoom the train?"
ALL DAY LONG.

4. Samuel asked to go for a walk two days ago. It's hot. Ok, let's go for a walk. We get two houses away and Samuel says, "It's too hot. My legs won't work. I want to go home."
Me: "No. You wanted to go for a walk, so we're going for a walk." Samuel immediately put up such a fuss that the entire neighborhood was probably recording it for Halloween music. Screams, etc. And Will and I left Samuel by the side of the road. He eventually followed, caterwauling all the way. When he tried to throw his stuffed lion at me, I let him have it and I warned him that if I heard another peep from him, he would be sent to bed when we got home. Well, when we got home, I sent him to bed.

I could continue and continue and continue, but I won't. Am I still in the race???