As I read M "Enemy Brothers," he commented that "Phemie’s word was to be counted on, but yours isn’t. You don’t mean to Mom, but you forget a lot." (Internal "Ahhhh!") Not to be outdone by a character, I was bound and determined to help M re-assemble his huge Bionicle vehicle Skopio, after K got into it and tore it to pieces. Not a problem, I’d told him to put the pieces into a container, I’d supplied the container, I would not have to dig thought the Lego Library to help him fix the thing. All 900 pieces of it.
So, yesterday when K was sleeping nicely, and I had read my Bible passage and snoozed for a while, I dutifully walked down the hall to tell M I’d help him with the repairs once I had my coffee. I sighed as I passed my knitting bag, where new ideas were waiting to be explored on needles and graph paper, and entered the boys room: where stuffed animals, toy cars, library books and legos had recently been holding a war. M pointed to the general Bionicle parts bin, and said I could start working on it. "Ahhhh!" I demanded to know why my explicit instructions had been disregarded. M said B said that was how to do it. I announced that I would help restore Skopio when the room was tidy, and the parts were separated. (And did he remember that Skopio has over 900 parts?). Then I stalked down the hallway after B who was working on his independent studies.
I told B what I thought of his organizational skills. Lots of mutual "Ahhhh!" somehow K slept though it. She was storing up sleep for last night when we saw 2:00, 2:30, 3:00, 3:30, I woke DH up to tell him how guilty I felt for yelling at the boys, and that I had insomnia, 4:00 then we all slept like stones until DH brought me coffee in bed… anyway, B said he’d never heard the instructions. (My boys never do hear instructions. No Charlotte, I haven’t read your book yet about habits, though I did download it.)
I have since apologized to both boys. Skopio is up to the end of book one of instructions.
M said two cute things in his sweet, let’s calm Mommy down voice,"Wow, cleaning up the room really doesn’t take that long." and, "Mom, I was born fast, I don’t know how to slow down."
Tomorrow is another day
Oh, grace, grace and more grace to you. (And more coffee.)
Blessings,
Annie