07 December 2007

is 6pm too early for bed?

If you've been wondering where we've been all week, I (Becky) have been drinking heavily and taking sedatives. Well... that's not entirely accurate, but I'd be happier right now if it were true. The kids are on my last nerve, and it's a very short one in my little toe. Every day this week when Joshua comes home from school, the kids get wild. Maybe it's Christmas mania rubbing off on Joshua during the school day. It shouldn't be because he doesn't even understand all the Christmas hype, but holiday insanity isn't reasonable. At any rate, bedtime has been moving progressively earlier as the week progresses. Then today happened. This afternoon Patience peed a puddle on the floor, walked across the room dripping a trail behind her, peed a second puddle where she stopped, and then continued to walk around the downstairs in her soaked sweatshirt, pants, and slippers. I found out about the incident when I had a close encounter with one of the puddles. After cleaning the floor and changing clothes, Patience spent 20 or 30 minutes alone in her room for her own protection. We had been having bathroom issues with Patience a while ago, but she's been doing really well recently. Not only has she been having fewer accidents but she also has been telling us when she has them (because she only gets punished when she doesn't tell us). What happened today is a mystery to me. My horoscope for the week must have been bad. Then when it was time to leave to pick up Joshua, I discovered that even though Patience had been getting ready to leave for at least 10 minutes, she still didn't have even one shoe on. We've been trying to help her understand that she needs to tell us when she wants help, but it obviously hasn't made a dent. It turns out that her velcro strap had pulled out, and she couldn't get it back where it needed to be. I had to move things along, and we still barely made it to school. The rest of the afternoon involved a lot of repeating myself and nearly sending the older 2 to time out before they listened. At dinner, Garty decided he didn't like his chicken, so he messed around for 40 minutes. I fed him the last 4 pieces so we could move on with life only to take him out of his chair and discover that he had hidden the other pieces under his rear end when I wasn't watching. Interestingly, when we had chicken the other night he inhaled 2 bowls of it. Peter's away speaking for a campus group tonight, so I decided that for my sanity I'd let the kids watch a movie and then get them ready for bed early. When instructed to go choose a movie, Joshua decided instead to mess with the movie that was already in the VCR. He jammed the VCR and destroyed the tape in the process. After 5 minutes on the steps, we discussed the fact that since they haven't been obeying very well today, they shouldn't be allowed to watch a movie at all. However, because I love them (translated: because I don't want to deal with them right now), I would still let them watch a movie as long as they cooperated really well at bedtime. Barney ends in 5 minutes, so we'll see how things go. If anyone has any suggestions on how to survive the weekend (other than the aforementioned relaxation aids), feel free to let us know!

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow and I thought I was the only one to have a challeging week. When the kids would get like that, I would do the same thing pop in a movie and relax chill out and don't care if the laundry gets done or the dishes get cleaned. Call me if you ever want to talk and I can call you right back.

Ross is back in Foster Care right now, he has been giving us a run for our money and we didn't know what to do. He hit puberty, he'll be 14 on Tuesday an his system is going haywire from the drugs he was addicted to at birth. So I can empathize with your circumstances.

kathie
706-757-3802

Unknown said...

This has to be one of the funniest (and yes, i feel sorry for you too) posts I've read. Especially the part about the nerve in your little toe. I wrote a story just like this when my kids were about your kids' ages - I think it's what keeps us sane.

On Saturday night, I put my kids to bed at 5 minutes to 7. And it wasn't happy. And I wasn't nice. And I didn't care. And I'm not sure if I've repented yet. But I might. Eventually. When they stop running like maniacs thru the house and touching things they're not supposed to touch (like various body parts that make loud noises) and STOP TAKING FOOD INTO THE LIVING ROOM and stop hiding behind the Christmas tree eating candy canes. Then, then I will repent.

I think.
Probably not.

I'll give you the advice that the LHCC church secretary gave me a couple years ago. She said, "Alanna, give 'em cheese. When they get like that just give 'em cheese. It always works."

That cracks me up.
But I still do it.
Seriously.

And then I take a couple vicodin, put in a good movie, and drown my sorrows in chocolate cake. Not really. But it's always a thought - usually preceded by the one of a distant island far away full of peaceful bliss where children cannot go. "Neverland" - the island where children never land.

You know this is why they invented ice cream, right?

Sintari said...

Becky, I just am getting caught up on all my blog friends, since my computer is now fixed.
These stories are so funny. We deal with the same problems with Ruby Mama. I keep thinking since she's been in this family for 6 months, and I've told her these things 12 million times, that she should get it by now, but she still poops in the bed (?), pees her pants, (and doesn't tell us,) rarely asks for help, pouts, and gives us the silent treatment. And unfortunately, she doesn't really like TV. :(
Thanks for the laugh.
- Amy