T'was The Night Before School.

And the children were far too excited for bed.

The girls were playing a game of Barbies in the pit they called Bedroom,

A more dire place they could not have found.

Mother had planned a complete overhaul

And had actually managed it twice over the holidays.

Time for Plan B.

A Monk's cave will have more clutter than this when I'm done,

she muttered.

The boys were doing their best to remain invisible in front of little coloured screens.

The clutter and rubbish piled up beneath their feet,

Unheeded.

She sighs.

And looks over the rows of files, rank after rank,

With their names and subjects haphazardly marked.

The boxes of materials.

 The craft supplies.

The glue.

And the cutworm who had eaten the new growing capsicums,  now become a science experiment in a creeperkeeper.

Time to prepare the lessons for the morning.

She yawns and reaches for another sip of scalding tea.

And prays.