Sunday, October 14, 2007

Ever Done This?

Okay, I have once again ignored my blog for far too long. For the 64 or so of you who check in each week, keep checking as I will continue to try to update. I promise, I write many fabulous blog entries each morning in the shower, but before i can get them from my mind to the computer each day, things get in the way.

I have some great pictures and adventures to update you on, but no time for that now. It is Sunday night, I need to eat a big bowl of apple brown betty, get the kids in bed and change my closet to fall clothes. But, in the meantime, wondering if you have ever done this...or something similar.

This weekend, I was loading the kids up in the car to go to a little festival at the Peace Learning Center. I had been gone earlier in the morning playing tennis and had a very sweet, but young babysitter who fed the kids ice cream, Twizzlers, gum, popsicles and other forbidden fruits for breakfast while I was gone. I am so not kidding. And this is after I said, "I am making pancakes for lunch, so try to encourage them to eat a healthy breakfast that doesn't involve syrup (meaning--not a lot of sugar) like a bagel." That didn't go over too well, huh? Needless to say, everyone was totally wound up the rest of the day. Jeff was down south riding the Hilly Hundred, so it was just me and my crew.

They are all getting in the van in the garage when from inside the house, I hear Phillip rip into Samuel with the nastiest tone I have ever heard. Now, you should know that Phillip's rudeness to his siblings isn't new. It is a problem we have been working on. He is impatient, pushy, physical and down-right rude to them on a regular basis. I storm out the garage door, teeth clinched, finger pointed and yell--"If I hear that nastiness come out of that mouth one more time, I will fill it so full of soap you won't be able to talk for days. Do you understand me?"

On the me part, I hear my echo. Ooopps. I am in the garage, the door is open and the stillness of the fall air carries my voice at least two houses down. Great. Neighbors no doubt heard. The soap part, yes, we have done that--for biting (and for us, it worked). But the screaming, I am super embarrassed about, not to mention the fact that here I am screaming at him telling him not to scream at them. Oh the hypocrisy. Oh the embarrassment. Oh the shame. Ever been caught losing it? I hate that...I know someone heard for sure. I need to get my ass to the Peace Learning Center pronto, don't ya think?

I moved on. We went to the festival and had a great time. The mayor was there and while he was speaking, Phillip started talking to me kind of loud. "Phillip, we need to be quite and respect the mayor while he is talking, even if we don't like him." He turns to me and says, "I know you think he is a jack-a. I heard you call him that once." Acting surprised and oh so innocent, I said, "Me? Call him what?" He repeated and told me he heard it at my dad's house one time. Oh those little ears--the listen like crazy and never forget. Sounds like I need my mouth washed out.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

That was one of the best stories you have told! I laughed out loud. I have definitely lost it a number of times (although only in the privacy of our home with all windows and doors closed) and feel so stupid afterwards. The part about Phillip repeating what you said about the mayor was priceless. I swear kids have the best hearing - you have to be SO careful.
LB

Anonymous said...

He may have even heard his dad say that about the mayor, It's true!