Hello.

Hope you're all surviving your week. I don't know if I'm going to make it through mine. Having all three kids home is a true test of a mother's will not to commit violence against her children.

It's the fighting that's making me crazy. One of the boys starts arguing with the other. The screaming starts. Then the toddler gets involved just because she can. Someone hits someone else. The screaming gets louder. The scratching/biting/pinching comes into play (this is usually from the toddler as well, she's learning early to fight dirty).

Now everyone is screaming for me to do something, so I tell them they are all getting a spanking.

A split-second of stunned silence greets me before the next wave of shouting starts.

"That's not fair."

"He started it."

"She bit me/hit me/scratched me/pinched me." Pick any combination of the four.

"Spank him, not me. It was his fault."

Wah, wah, wah.

To quote Bill Cosby, "I don't care who started it. I'm a parent. I don't care about justice, I just want QUIET!"

So I get them all distracted with a TV show, or a game, or a toy, or a book. Whatever it takes to bring peace back into the equation. And it usually works for 10-15 minutes, until the next fight erupts and we start the cycle all over again.

This has been the last two days. We are headed to Mom's house tomorrow, and I hope the crazy will be somewhat diminished by Grandma's calming, soothing presence. It seemed to work while they were at Mimi's house over the weekend. So maybe it will work with Grandma, too.

Hope the rest of your week goes well.

Later.