The POWER of the WOODEN SPOON....

Mommyhood is wonderful.  One of the hardest, most wearing, stressing, endearing, and loveable jobs I've been blessed to have.

I am lucky to be able to be with my children.  SIL and BIL attended a funeral today...of a Mom, who passed away at 36, right before her 37th birthday.  She left behind three children - the eldest, 12 and the youngest only two.

So, today has been a day of enjoying children, my own, my niece and nephew and making plans to visit with my brother [The Bachelor, today is also his 30th birthday] and his son, my nephew 7 days younger than Farmer, Jr.

Loving Mommyhood all day long.   And, then....little by little, as they so well do...  They begin nit-picking.  Whining....  Bothering each other.  Griping, slightly...  And, in the end, tattle-telling...

And, while I am so truly in the euphoria of how lucky and blessed I am to be a part of all of this.  ALL. OF. THIS.  Them discovering their boundaries and dis/respect for each other...  And, after having a sharing conversation about loving, parenting, loss, blessedness with my SIL [niece and nephew's mom] I find that my fuse...  Though, longer today -- elongated by the bond that ties me to them....  is, well.  Almost to it's wicks end.

AND, THEN. IT. HAPPENS....

"Mama!?"  [13th time for the afternoon]  "Farmer, Jr. did X and I said No but he did it and...."

Farmer, Jr. "Mama!!?  Lil'Gal is coming in to make a lie about me and I did Z and she thought I did P on purpose but it was an accident!?..." and then, Farmers*s Wife whips around and her body follows her on auto-pilot and she heads to the drawer in the kitchen.

[Pre-curser:  I dislike the entire idea of physical discipline, though, I have learned that there are times that merit it.  Rare, but times when the kids cross the line and are not yet old enough to understand consequences that make more impact at a more mature level and age.  Rarely, and ever so earned...Hubby gets the belt out....]

The children see me and hear my voice, the voice slave that takes over as I head to THE. DRAWER.  And, at that moment I spew the words from my mouth that I HOPED to avoid today....

"I'M GETTING....the WOODEN.  SPOOON!!!!!"  Both children turn into wonderfully, well behaved little people who love each other so much their eyes light up!  Oh, how I love that look (the one they design right before they know I'm about to crack; the one that is my antidote to MEAN MOMMY).

And, I say, "Apologize to each other, get along and GET THE DOGS OUT already" and they run out skipping happily and everything is well.

Oh, the wooden spoon?  Went back to rest peacefully in its happy place in the drawer....  It's job having been served today... at least for the next 45 minutes or so...

:-)  Happy Saturday!!!

The POWER of the WOODEN SPOON....