How TV ruins our day

We had a super awesome morning filled with discussions of rain forests, monkeys in South America, reviewing ways to add up to 9, practicing upper case letters, reading the Three Billy Goats Gruff, counting circles, using stickers, and more.  This was all done before 8:45!  We needed to go by my Mom's house to check on things and get the papers, so I told the kids if we could finish our school work without whining, complaining, or rushing, we could go in and watch a show and have a snack.  I've never seen kids go for 90 minutes like that without one.single.complaint before!  When we got to Mom's, I settled everyone in front of the TV, divided up the rest of the Goldfish, and they enjoyed an episode of Peg + Cat (a super cute new math show on PBS).  While they watched and ate, I went through the papers, emptied the dishwasher, etc.  I was almost done when the show ended and try, of course, wanted to watch one more show.  I figured it couldn't hurt since the next show was Dinosaur Train and I did want to sit down for a little while.   After that, though, it was, "Can't we watch one more?" and "I want more to eat." and lots of whining.  I said, "No!" to both and loaded up the car.  It was like the whine switch had been turned on and the rest of the morning was Complain City.  We finally started our all-time favorite game of Puzzle Obstacle Course (run two laps, stop and do a puzzle, run two more, stop and do a puzzle, until the puzzles have all been done).  Everyone kind of turned things around and then I made the huge mistake of getting out some more challenging puzzles.  For Ruby, that meant trying the 24 piece Thomas puzzles that Ford has been doing since he was two. Ford started crying like a baby because I let her do those puzzles.  It was the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen!  I tried explaining to him that I had a more challenging (100 piece) puzzle for him but he coukdn't get past the fact that Ruby was doing HIS puzzles.  Once she was done and let him have them, he was better, but he still wouldn't try the harder puzzle which s crazy because he s awesome at puzzles!  After lunch we played some more, then read stories and settled for rest time.  Everyone needed a break, but I desperately needed a shower!!  The safest way for me to take a shower when I'm the only adult here is to lock the door and let the kids watch a show.  We had already met our limit of TV time, but Ruby was asleep, so I thought Rachel and Ford could handle 20 more minutes of a Busytown Mystery so that I could not feel so grungy.  It all went well until I came out and realized Rachel had been chewing on her fingers the whole time...which drives me crazy.  I told her if she did it again she had to leave while Ford finished the show.  Of course, she did it again, so she left and Ford finished the show while I finished getting dressed.  Then he wanted to look up how much a Thomas Train cost so while we did that Ruby woke up and came in my room.  When I turned off the iPad she screamed like someone had pushed her down a flight of steps.  She couldn't believe that I wouldn't let her watch a show or play a game (she had no idea that the other two had watched a show).  It was only after I got Rachel and Ford a snack that she finally calmed down enough to tell me that she would eat a little snack.  I needed some fresh air after that!  We went for a walk and stopped at Vanessa's to swing for a little while, then Rachel got mopey because people weren't paying "her way" and Ruby got mad because Ford decided he didn't want to play with girls.  It was just too much!!  We walked up the hill (with Vanessa and the boys) and played in our back yard for a little while.  Then it was time to fix dinner and see Allen for 30 minutes before he had to leave again.  Rachel drove me crazy by eating with her fingers instead of her fork but I finally got her to use the fork.  I thought everybody might calm down if I let them play in the bath tub instead of just taking quick showers and that finally seemed to do the trick.  We took our time bathing, washing hair, brushing teen, drying hair, etc. and still had time to sit at the table all together and color.  It was a relaxing evening at the end of a chaotic day.  I know my patience level is at an all-time low right now and I don't have the energy to do all they want to do right now, but I'm still blaming it all on the TV!!!  (which I guess really means I blame myself since I let them watch it, but don't tell...)