If I was a Drinker

So remember I described our blog to include parental tantrums.....well here is mine.

With both kids being sick last week and Aaron's vasectomy on Friday of last week, by Sunday night I was ready for everyone to be better. My husband was a very easy patient. He stayed in bed and only called to me when he really did need help with something. For the most part, he took care of himself (thank you honey).

But for the kids, that is a different story. I think I have yelled, swatted butts, and spent more time trying to run away this past week than in the past year. I think the kids knew Daddy wasn't going to be getting up to punish them. They pushed every button possible to the point that Tuesday night when I went to bed, I was in tears.

I have come to the realization that I am not the parent I wanted to be. Of course, we all think we will have angel children that will listen and behave and that is not true. A nice dream but not reality. Anyway, by the time I get home each day, I try to cook dinner, attempting but not succeeding, without yelling at the kids to stay out of the kitchen while hot stuff is being cooked. If I was a drinker, it would be at this point that the first glass would be poured.

Kaidynce has a fetish with food. Okay, she LOVES food. If she is in the kitchen while I am cooking, raw or not, she starts screaming for me to give her the food I am cooking. It is frustrating. So on these nights that first glass would be chugged (if I was a drinker of course).

So I get dinner on the table and we spend the next hour, yes I said HOUR, eating dinner. My daughter who loves food (see above), takes forever to eat her dinner. Brennan takes awhile too but usually starts whining to get down because he "doesn't feel good." That is another frustration in itself as it is his new favorite excuse. The second glass would be poured about 30 minutes into the process (if I was a drinker).

Dinner ends and I clean up. I once again find myself begging/yelling/and even swatting the kids to get them into their room for this process. Uninterrupted, cleaning the kitchen takes me about 15 minutes. That is all I ask for. With my kids testing my patience on a minute-by-minute basis, the second glass would be chugged (if I was a drinker).

Kitchen cleaned. Now it is time to play with the kids. But at this point, since they have been in trouble, it is whining and crying. After about 30 minutes, I have had enough. At this point, the third glass would be poured and probably chugged (if I was a drinker).

I usher the kids to the bath, wash them up and hoping for no whining but it doesn't happen, and then off to bedrooms for pajamas. It would become easier to put up with their whining and clinging at this point if I was a drinker of course as I would be a bit buzzed. But since I am not a drinker, I fall into the computer chair with Kaidynce in my arms and her glass of milk. Thirty minutes later, the kids are put to bed and I am able to relax.

This is how my nights go. Well not anymore. Last night, the kids played in their rooms for about 20 minutes, only coming out twice and being told to go play while I finished what I was doing. No yelling, just asking! It was nice. I then played a game of Candyland with Brennan, gave him his snack, cuddled Kaidynce, and put them in bed. It was a nice evening. Starting tonight, there will be a time limit on dinner for Kaidynce, a no whining rule for Brennan (meaning "I don't feel good" is not going to work anymore), and then a family game. It was much more relaxing last night and I never once thought about becoming a drinker!