11.25.2008

Code name: "Mommy"

I am having one of those weeks. They might call me "Mommy" or "Mama," but really I am the fun police. I think 90% of the words that come out of my mouth are along the lines of "Stop doing ______ now!" or "Do _______ now!"

On Sunday the girls and cousin Davis disappeared into the playroom in the basement, as they often do when they're together. Next thing you know Ella, the Informer, was upstairs. "Davis and Natalie are breaking the crayons and markers!" Upon investigation, they were not breaking them. They were pulverizing them. With a table leg. And while she maintained her innocence for a long time, at some point Ella let it slip that she had also participated, adding lying to her offenses. Meanwhile, cousin Bria (20 months) sat on the couch with the little criminals saying, "I boke it! I boke it!" Even though she was upstairs the entire time.

The bigger crayon & marker pieces got picked up by the kids, and I vacuumed up the shards with a shop vac. The easel has been removed from the playroom, the playroom is off limits (since last night I also found that someone had been drawing on the cupboard doors down there), and they were grounded from tv. Which was hard. For me.

Fast forward to today. For the umpteenth time the girls dumped out the toy bins from the storage system in Ella's room. And started playing with the bins. Rocks to climb over. Now I'm not THAT bad of a fun cop. I can appreciate an imaginative play game. But every time they play a similar game, the toys NEVER get picked up. So they're not supposed to do it anymore. So I asked them to pick up the toys. Of course, not happening. So I took the bins and the shelving unit and put them in the off-limits playroom. And I picked up all the toys in a garbage bag and tossed it in the playroom too.

Tears, right? We got the message, right?

No.

Five minutes later Ella comes up to me with another small toy. "Mom, you forgot this one. You missed it. Do you want me to put it in the bag downstairs?"

I wish I at least got a shiny badge for this.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hang tough, Mommy! (At least until the children know who's boss!!)

The Lone Female said...

I heard about this. Did Ella say something about "spanks and smacks"? I think this happened the same day Sam peed in his toy box. :-P

HarryJack's Mom said...

OH, I know this feeling: I wish I at least got a shiny badge for this. We've had one of those weeks, as well. I stole a friend's trick of taking the toys not cleaned up within the allowed time (usually 5 minutes). It's tough being a good Mommy, but you're doing it! Here's your shiny badge :-) Happy Thanksgiving!

Lisa @ Crazy Adventures in Parenting said...

YOU AND I ARE TWINS! SERIOUSLY!

Alyce said...

I'm so glad to know I'm not alone.

Ha! Just now my four-year-old broke a glue stick in half, and as I'm typing this my seven-year-old is saying, "Mom, watch! MOM! WATCH!"

My four-year-old currently has a large tote/tub of toys in the garage that are off limits. :) I just told him that if he twists the glue stick out the whole way again, I won't let him play with it anymore.

Cynthia said...

Miss Peach would fit right in...

Jolanthe said...

There will be a big shiny badge for you in heaven! :) LOL - and boy am I ever familiar with the toy-dumping problem.

sigh.