I started last weekend cleaning my office. For the most part, my office was clean, but I had some papers that I needed to sort through. So I started. It soon turned into a major rehaul of my entire filing system and every paper in my office, as well as supplies and 3-ring binders. Which led to five bags of garbage.

That’s right. Five bags of garbage came out of my 8×8 office. And the thing of it is that by looking at it now you can’t tell that there is five less bags of stuff in it. Sure if you open the filing cabinet you might notice, but for the most part, no change.

But I feel so much more organized. I feel ready for the influx of school stuff now that I’ve finally put away last year’s report cards and school stuff.

Our school doesn’t start until September 8, which is after Labor Day. And as I read about other bloggers that are starting school, I just feel so glad that for us it hasn’t started yet. The summer is still in full force even if the weather isn’t cooperating.

The news reported this morning that the temps we’re having this week our more like mid October temperatures. That’s just depressing.

Oh great. Now I’ve made Autumn cry. This has nothing to do with filing. She wants to go to work with me. I told her no. She asked again, and again, and again. All this morning since she woke up convinced that I would take her. And I answered no nicely repeatedly.

I even explained why today is not a good day to go to work with me. I have a very full day including meetings, and basically it’d be very boring for her. She promised to be good and keep herself busy. I still said no.

And as I sat here typing, she once again asked, “But why would today be a bad day to go to work with you?”

Which is when I made her cry. I was no longer polite, and frankly, I was quite perturbed. I’ve explained and explained and I’m not going to change my mind. I’m not known to cave.

She’s now curled up in the corner of my office, crying with a very sad look on her face. Good, she walked out to go blow her nose.

Now the guilt hits, which is just dumb. I never said I was taking her to work. I never agreed or made any comments to suggest such a thing. She just woke up this morning with a bug in her butt and expected me to meet her expectations. Argh. Now I’m the bad mom who won’t take her daughter to work with her.

I blame this all on that “Take Your Daughter To Work Day” crap. Autumn has wanted to go with me to work since she was 8. But at 7, she was under the age and I was working until 2 a.m. then. The next two years I wasn’t working out of the home. This year, we didn’t do it because I don’t think I worked in the office on the day.

I have taken her to work with me, although not on the designated day. And it was also a day when I cut my day short and I had time to talk/do things to keep her busy. She also supplemented her day with frequent trips to the dollar store down the street.

And I know that this is more about getting away from her siblings and being able to go to the dollar store. She’s tired and ornery. OK, she did come over and hug me. Then she said she woke up this morning all excited thinking she go to work with me, picking out her clothes and doing her hair so that she’d be all set to go.

OK, now she’s pouting on the couch. I have to go to work. Argh. You’ll have to hear about my fabulous new filing order some other time. I’m sure you’ll be delighted.

In the meantime, I get to go to work full of guilt for absolutely no good reason. guilt, guilt, guilt, guilt….

Oh, and I have no milk in the house for the kids cereal because they drank it all yesterday for lunch and dinner. A new record for a gallon of milk – less than 36 hours and they were sleeping for at least 12 of those.