Frustrated Mommy and Naughty Kids

*Disclaimer: This post is long and probably very boring for you to read, but it's my daily grind and a glimpse into my unglorified life. Feel free to skip this post, I'll never know. ;)

Today was a frustrating day. It's not that it was a terrible day, just frustrating.

For starters, I think that Bella has the 'end of school year should equal no work' blues. She has summer in her sights and it is very difficult to keep her focused and motivated. Enter her solution: cheating. I was grading her math today and she missed 10 questions in a row, which is highly unusual. Bella is strong in math, and so I was scolding telling her that she needs to pay better attention. In her defense, she says, "Well that's because I found the answers in the back and was copying them." Well then, if it wasn't her own actions that caused the wrong answers, all should be well, right? Very slick. Not. I asked her how long she had been doing this, and she said, "Only since I found it yesterday." Well, at least she was honest. She has only been using this workbook since Monday because our regular math curriculum has been completed; so she is using some Kumon workbooks for review to finish up the year. This was a pretty harmless offense, until I told her that because she cheated that she needed to complete another assignment and she replies,
"Why? I got all those wrong!"
"Yes, but since you didn't do the assignment on your own, you need to do another one."
Then she proceeded to waste nearly an hour on a simple addition assignment. I gave her fair warning that she was wasting time and needed to finish up, but she ended up losing desert for her lack of effort.

Last night was store night at Awana where the kids get to 'purchase' products with 'money' they earn from learning their memory verses. Bella came home with a 100+ piece domino toy. Of course, we really don't need more toys in this house, let alone one with multiple pieces and batteries, to boot. But I told the kids that they could play with it as soon as the girls cleaned up their playroom and bedroom. What followed was nearly 4 hours of wasted life. Yes, I said four hours. It should have taken the girls an hour, tops. And so it became a battle, complete with whining, complaining, and the usual arguments: "Mom, will you come help us?" "No, I'm busy. (I really was... and not wasting time on the computer.) You made the mess, you clean it up." Followed by, "If you cannot clean up your toys yourselves, then you have too many and we will get rid of some." As I said, this lasted four hours. Over which time the girls lost movie night this weekend, the use of their playroom until Monday, and the privilege of playing with their prized baby dolls until Monday. Wow. Can I reiterate that it was frustrating?

So we make it to bedtime, when I remember that I need to make Jacob's top bunk bed because he wet the bed last night. This was his first accident in nearly two weeks, so that wasn't the frustrating part. What was frustrating was trying to make a top bunk (when you're only 5'2" it's quite a task) while your one-year-old continuously climbs onto said bed and makes a game at running away every time I try to reach him with my short arms. I finally put the boys to bed (after having to coerce Jacob into going potty and getting in bed) and go to the girls' room to read Bella's read aloud for school. I can hear the boys next door playing and the next thing I know I have two little boys sneaking into the girls room and climbing all over me. I smile and say, "Man, I have 4 boogers!" and continue reading... but as all good intentions must be squashed, the boys interrupt the quiet calm of the room and I end the chapter nearly shouting the story over the noise. I leave to take the boys back only to discover that Will's water cap was unscrewed and has leaked all over his bed. So I strip his bed. And attempt to make bed #2 with a Will continuously climbing and running and jumping all over the bed. Then I have to coerce Jacob back into bed. Again.

By the time I get back to the girls to say prayers, I have to literally breathe deeply and I think to myself, "How can I pray when I'm so angry?" So I start with,
"Dear Lord, thank you for today. I pray that you can forgive us our sins when we do not obey what you want us to do. Forgive me for being so angry today. Forgive the children for being disobedient to you and to me. We pray that tomorrow will be a much better day...."
After kisses, I looked into Bella's eyes and said, "I really love you. Tomorrow will be better." And I said the same to Addie (well, except I said Addie and not Bella).

I came downstairs and started to think; to breathe deeply and reflect. These small battles are exactly that - small. I have many friends going through much worse than I. And for that, I am thankful... and for them, I am prayerful. In all my frustrations of today, I still feel thankful for my life. "Give thanks in all circumstances." {1 Thessalonians 5:18}  It's a hard task, but I'm working on it.

And looking at this cute, messy baby from dinner tonight makes it that much easier...