Don't use your brother's brush to clean the bathtub

Being a parent is hard!!  I find myself saying things I never in my life thought I would say.  Things like, "No, you may not use your baby brother as a football."

"Quit licking the wall; quit licking your sister; quit licking the dog; quit licking the playground; quit licking me; FOR THE LOVE OF ALL QUIT LICKING YOUR SISTER!"  You get the picture...  Or things like, "don't call your sister shake a booty."
"Quit rolling your little brother and sister into burritos.  No they don't like it; that's why they're crying."
"Pull your pants up, no one wants to see your butt."
"Don't wipe your boogers on my face, your sister's face, your brother's face, et cetera."  I mean really?  In what social situation is it okay to wipe boogers on someone?!

I never in my wildest dreams thought I would have to have a serious conversation, with a child approaching 10, about why it is not appropriate to try to breastfeed.  Maybe bottle feeding gave her issues, who knows?  Or to watch that same child push their sister, sees you watch them push their sister, and still denies pushing their sister.

Also, the number of times I have to repeat myself is astounding,
"take out the trash."
"What?"
"Take out the trash."
"What?"
Grrrr....."TAKE OUT the trash!"
"Geez, I don't understand why you are so upset Mom; I'm taking out the trash."

My favorite is when they say, "I heard you the first time."  You know, after the third or fourth time.

See that face?  Yeah he's adorable, even when I barely made it to the bathroom in time to stop him from throwing a dictionary in the toilet.  He's also adorable when he's ripping out handfuls of his sister's hair, or when he's stomping his feet, screeching, because I won't let him stick forks in the dog's eye.  How on earth did this child even get a fork???

Don't get me wrong, I would not change one second of this life we have been called to.  But ya'll, it's hard.  There is probably a spiritual lesson to be learned in all of this; I mean, God has probably told us to quit licking things a time or two and we just didn't listen.  But right now?  Right now I'm not trying to hear all that; I just want a minute to breathe!  These kids are amazing and wonderful and so, so funny!!  But I'm exhausted!  

Until next time, don't use your brother's brush to clean the bathtub.