Small Success Thursday

Today, we celebrate the little victories of the past week.  So here goes:

1) Worked on Helen every day this week.  (It's been atrophying in my computer).
2) Scheduled party for six year old son and eight year old daughter for this Sunday at a farm.  Very cool.
3) Sat in the passenger seat for an hour while my son drove. 
4) Daughter graduated from 8th grade.  It was lovely.
5) Lost 2 pounds.

6) On Tuesday, two of my sons had a public fight and it was horrible.  We all went to a softball game.  The kids did not sit well. They did not sit still.  It was hot so I sent my oldest to get water bottles. He came back with three and I divided them amongst the crowd that cared. 

My oldest had bought himself a lemonade.  My softball kid had her own from the game.  My oldest shared her water with the two toddlers.  My middle two sons were to share one and the last one was for me and my middle daughter and the baby to share.  When the game ended, (we lost), we  also had to cart everything including two chairs and a stroller along with the baby and softball equipment across three fields.I was trying to usher everyone to the car.  It was spread out so I lagged behind. It was a good thing I did. My three year old lost her diaper in mid walk so I picked it up to carry to a trash can.

At point,  my two sons began to have a disagreement.  They were supposed to share the water.  One had decided they should take sips. The other had decreed, he would drink his share first so as to not contaminate his drinking experience with his brother's cooties. Within seconds, they were screaming at each other and it was very very very loud.  I had to try to run after them while still carrying a folding chair and a diaper in one hand. Could I look more pathetic?  Yes. Yes I could.  I could add crazy mad to the mix.  To sum up, I dramatically dumped the water not on them, but with a flourish to indicate my displeasure.  "YOU ARE FIGHTING OVER WATER!"

The next fifteen minutes were miserable (because I'd thrown out the water and one of them didn't get a sip and the other was angry because his brother's impatience had made him get in trouble), while we loaded the car. One son ran from me back across a field to hide behind a tree while he knew I was trapped in the business of loading the car.  When we finally got everyone, I could barely speak. The son who should have known better, who had been the I want to drink my half of the water first and started all this nonsense asked, "Can we stop at the store? I need colored pencils for a test tomorrow." 

I couldn't answer for a moment.  It took every ounce of grace I could find to mutter....yes but man do you flunk diplomacy.  It would have been better to ask BEFORE you caused a huge public snit. I admit, I didn't want justice. I didn't want to be a good parent.  I wanted to be a bad mother.  I'd been put through the ringer and revenge was seeming like a reasonable option.  

But pulling into the parking lot of the Staples and letting the son and his older brother go in, my 8 year old daughter asked, "Does she have a diaper yet?"  and I have to concede, an important oversight had been completely lost.  Her sister's diaper free experience  had totally blipped off my radar.   I had to laugh.    So I flunked motherhood that day and they flunked childhood but we survived  so it's okay. 

7) Made a dental appointment for myself.