Time is of their essence

My children like to leave things to the last minute. They like to get up at 7:45 when they know we always leave at 8:10. They like to clean their room just before they go to bed. They like to do their homework the night before it is due.

Usually it's only one of them that decides to test my patience by doing this. Last night it was multiple times and all at once. Seriously. Picture this:

My husband is away for work. It is 9.30 pm and my baby has just been fed and is sound asleep. My 5 year old has already been in bed for an hour. My older boys have just started eating dinner (I know, I know. They don't get home from training until 9:00 pm on a Thursday night). My 8 and 11 year olds are getting ready* for bed.

Sounds fairly normal, right?

All of a sudden - drum roll please...

My 11 year old comes rushing out telling me she needs help with her Math homework. What? We just did her homework about 4 hours ago. Oh, no. This was homework she was 'saving for later'. Later as in now. Don't worry, this gives her plenty of time because it only needs to be handed in TOMORROW.

My 16 year old son asks if we have any birthday cards. Uh, no - only a 'Happy Belated Birthday' card I've had in the drawer for eight years. "Mum, I've already wrapped her (girlfriend's) gift. Now I just need a card." Oh, OK. I'll just add that to my early morning to-do list because her birthday is TOMORROW.

My 14 year old son throws a scrunched up piece of paper into my lap. It's an excursion permission slip. Cool - a signature and the date and I'm done. I start reading and then realise that because it is a "confidence builder" day, I need to write a little bit about my son's best qualities. Really? I'm not in the best write-sweet-and-lovely-things mood because the excursion is TOMORROW.

My 16 year old daughter asks me if she can have $100 to pay her friend for a concert ticket she has bought for her. Sure, I'll just add a trip to the ATM to the early morning to-do list because her friend is buying the tickets TOMORROW.

In the end everything worked out fine. My 8 year old got her homework done. We bought a gorgeous card for my son in the morning. I managed to write a lovely passage about my 14 year old and I also gave my daughter the money to give to her friend.

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I often hear them using the "Oh, we just work better under pressure" excuse. They're right - it's amazing how hard a bit of pressure can make you work for an English assignment due in less than 24 hours. I just wonder where they got their last minute-ness from. Clearly not from their very organised, efficient, intelligent and perfect mother. *cough

*read: giggling, chatting and doing everything they can to get out of going to bed