Friday, April 25, 2008

Friday without a Paddle

It is the end of the day and all my children are tucked in their beds. I haven't heard any noise for over an hour so I think the coast is clear.

It was an okay day with meetings in the morning and lunch at the park with the kids. Baby Girl laughed when she was in the park swing for the first time (see I don't take my camera everywhere because I missed that). I chatted with friends and back home for games and books with the boys.

Chaos started to break loose around the witching hour. Baby Girl just isn't happy and wants to be held from 4:00PM on. I finally put her in her swing - the one we haven't used in months, you know the one she is too big for and should be moved out of here by now. I'm glad I didn't take it to the basement this morning like I had planned. She was peaceful for at least 15 minutes so I could pull dinner together. When I say "peaceful" I mean she wasn't fussing or crying. That doesn't include me yelling from the kitchen to the boys "don't touch her, leave her alone, stop! DO NOT TOUCH YOUR SISTER!" and the like. The boys finally ate their dinner and seemed to like it so I didn't have to hear the usual monologue of why they don't want to eat what I fixed. Milk was spilled, brothers poked each other and my 4 year old kept repeating some word that is not even English.

I established the law of the Mom and went off to put Baby Girl to bed with strict instructions to only read books and not speak, touch or look at each other. Everything went better tonight until the end of Baby Girl's bedtime ritual when I could hear that war had broken out. They both busted into the calm quiet room screaming about the other's offenses. The Big Guy had been bitten so hard he was bleeding... and some other stuff. So off to bed they both go at 6:30. I walked around with the broken end of a lightsaber ready to whack a bottom. What I need is a Paddle! The kind they had in my elementary school with holes in it. Does that hurt more? I say this in jest, but When you spank with your hand and they laugh hysterically - not effective.

I need a disclaimer in case the mean county speech therapists are lurking (since I have an existing file as a "frustrated mother"): I do not beat or abuse my children. They do need an occasional pop to the bottom for blatant disobedience.


3 comments:

Anonymous said...

"Pop on the bottome for blatant disobedience." Amen. It's actually refreshing to hear someone else talk about spanking on their blog. No one else does. My kids cry when I spank with my hand (on bare bum) but I try to use the wooden spoon. Mostly, I am writing to say I am so sorry the boys have been given you, and each other, grief for a few days, especially. That is so hard. Here's praying they start to turn out of this little season and into a season of love and obedience. At least, that's how my boys are: good for a while...a "season," then naughty for one. It ebbs and flows. Anyway, thinking of you tonight.

Anonymous said...

Of course I meant bottom, not bottom. And, it should have said "giving" and not "given." Sheesh. And how WONDERFUL that Baby Girl laughed!!!

Amy Jo said...

ooooh. You make me laugh. I'm glad I'm not the only one who can carry a 10 minute one sided conversation made up of " Don't touch her! Stay away from her! Did you touch her? No! No! Give that back! You have 5 cars, let her play with one." It's not funny in real life, but I laugh because it's so familiar.

AND! I thank God along with you to have a sweet little girl who doesn't talk yet. She doesn't quite balance out the big guys nonsense, but it's a reprieve at least.

Does your hubby help out with bedtime? Mine doen't like to, but occasionally I plead and beg for an extra pair of hands. It makes a difference in my stress level. Yesterday instead of match cars, my son was throwing pieces of train tracks at the door. Probably the same sound effect as the match cars you heard....