I Lost It

Yes, it, that precious piece of sanity that makes you the adult, the parent, the responsible one. And there it went. After asking twenty times for help picking up the house, being ignored, having a tongue stuck out at me, four tantrums, giving the pick it up or it's going in the trash ultimatum and still listening to them fight and argue instead of helping, I was done. Just completely, utterly done. I finished every other room of the house, grabbed my trash bag and proceeded to the toy room.

Amidst the screaming, tears and flailing of hands I shoved everything not in a box into the bag. I recommended that instead of screaming and fighting me that they attempt to save every piece they could... amazing how quickly they could move all of a sudden..... I filled an entire sack just the same. I handed it off to Chris who was taking out trash.

They began to scream at daddy. Chris pulled out his bandana from his pocket to hide the fact he was laughing. I quickly sent them to their rooms so they wouldn't see daddy laughing at their plight.

Chris took the trash to the street, refilled the litter boxes, hid the bag of toys in the back of the non running van (yes, it is obligatory for everyone in the country to have a car that doesn't work) in the driveway and came back inside. It was about this time that they began to calm down. They asked if he had thrown the bag away to which he answered it was gone. I was expecting another meltdown, but instead got a whimper. Then they asked to go play outside.

That's it. They came back some time later and asked if I wanted to see the castle they built out of bricks and mud. I'd already snapped this picture from the window of them all working so nicely together. It didn't ruin the day. They don't appear scarred for life. We went on to have lunch and watch a movie as a family.

I've suggested I would throw stuff away before, but in the end I would pick up most of it while Tamarin picked up some and Lemur picked up hardly anything. I had reached wits end finally. I could not bargain, argue, reason or yell anymore. It was time for drastic measures. Time will tell if it makes a change. I don't really expect it to, but I feel better knowing they are aware Mama means what she says.