Do you ever feel as if your children know when you're trying to practice extreme-patience? It's like they say to themselves "Wow, Mom is being really chill, lets see if we can shake her of that?". At least, that's what it has felt like for me this afternoon. I have been trying my best to have extreme-patience with my three kiddos. Homework time is usually one of my triggers, because I'm one person to two guys needing assistance. Granted, the oldest one can usually handle his on his own; but its the times when he does need me, that causes the riff. The middle child requires full attention for homework, and when I try to divide attention between the two, the middle child usually gets up from his chair and starts to play with the toddler ... and that's where it all starts. I ask him to return to his seat, he (often times) does the first time, but then the toddler now wants the middle one to play with her, so she is right under him, distracting him and I'm trying with all I have in me to get him to focus back on what we were doing, while appeasing her. Its fun times, as you can imagine.
Well today, I had the husband home - great, right?, because he can help with the kids! Ehhhhhh, wrong! In fact, it seemed to only worsen the easily distracted boys from doing their homework. He was home to work on quotes, because we have some serious deadlines to meet. While he works on quotes, he likes to have background noise (usually in the form of the TV). Big No-No during homework hours. Our boys are easily distracted by anything, but especially an electronic device. It can be the boringest show in the history of boring on TV, but if they're sitting down to do homework, it seems like the most interesting show to them & they totally zone out (I learned that the hard way, while watching a jury trial on TV during homework hours one day, never again!). Well, husband decided to turn on the TV during sight word practice with the middle child, and you would have thought Stretch Armstrong was on. Dude was zoned in on a deodorant commercial. Its the craziest thing. Well, I had just about had it at that point (we had already been doing homework for about 30 minutes, oldest had finished his written work and was reading in his room) and asked the hubs (in a rather loud tone) to turn off the TV & reminded him it wasn't allowed on during homework time. While trying to get middle back on sight words, I was also trying to make sure I didn't burn supper, and remind the oldest one to get dressed for baseball practice. The toddler was in her highchair begging for more "nak" (snack) because she basically eats for a living. The oldest can't seem to locate his baseball cup, and is asking me if I know where its at. I don't, I didn't wear it and I surely didn't take it off of him the last time he wore it. The middle is whining to me, that he doesn't know the words on the page (but he does!). The food is needing attention, the baby is starting to make noise and I know he's waking up soon because it's time for him to nurse again, and the husband is asking me if I know when we were at what jobsite on what day. I am pretty much tapped out on patience and I just lose it on the middle one, and tell him to "sound out the dag on word, SON!". Everyone looks at me, eyes wide, in total shock, and it gets really quiet. I take a long, deep breath and tell the middle how sorry I am, and I carry on juggling the tasks in front of me (never did find the baseball cup, FYI). The husband picks up on the lack of patience and takes over supper. The middle and I finish his sight words, while giving the toddler her oranges. Why is it that we have to get to "that point" before things ever calm down? Why does it seem like the days you are convinced you're going to keep your patience in check, you are tested beyond belief? The devil is an asshole... that's why!
