A place to be real about a life of chaos, with eight beautiful children, homeschooling, special needs, adoption, sanity or the lack thereof.........a rubber hits the road sort of journey that I thankfully do NOT walk alone!

Saturday, September 27, 2008

Anger Management for Three Year olds???

Barely two weeks ago three of my children returned to the optometrist for their third follow up appointment. Two of the three were presenting with potential prescriptions and Songbird had previously suffered with many headaches. As it turns out.....Karate Kid and Princess both needed glasses as the Dr. determined at this stage they were not showing enough marked improvement to suggest they would grow out of it.

Princess promptly picked pink glasses that suited her just perfectly. She found it quite entertaining that they had little jalapeno peppers on the nose piece. Karate Kid was immediately drawn to the "sick, trick" glasses with the camo print on the arms. I was just so excited they were pleased and neither one of them suggested they would balk at wearing them. Karate Kid was to wear them all the time except while doing sports (90% of his life!) and Princess was to use them for school work, reading, computer....up close stuff.

We did the "How we take care of our glasses" discussion coupled with that whole responsibility thing and "these are expensive" and we must take great care of them. We ran through the whole routine of cleaning and storage and when to wear and not. They both listened intently and for the first two weeks followed all rules to the letter!

Last night I asked Karate Kid where his glasses were as he kissed and hugged me goodnight in the school room without them on and he indicated "Oh Mom I've found this great place to put them on my shelf beside my bed" His case however he left on the mantel.,.,...."But it's ok Mom because it's up high and Skishee or the cats can't get them".

I paused and then quickly advised against this "alternative" spot as I knew the mountain climbing capabilities of my dear youngest son and was quick to suggest they would soon be destroyed. Redid the whole responsibility thing as his eyeballs were rolling around in his head and like captions for the hearing impaired I could read on those same eyeballs something like this........" OH my gosh will she ever stop droning ....I'm tuning you out Mom......I'm not listening......la la la la laaaaaaaa".

I said my goodnight and reminded him how they were to be stored and sent him to bed.









Weren't




they cute!!

The dreaded call came as I watched Stable Chick dismount this morning at the farm and head in to remove the tack from her horse. Karate Kid had found Skishee with "part" of his glasses in his hands. Chief heard the screaming and ran upstairs to find out who was bleeding. "Dad, look what Skishee did to my glasses!!!" "I did NOT touch them!!!!" "He's lying!!!"

Good grief.....after a gruelling 20 minute question period Chief was no further ahead. What he had learned was that Karate Kid had stored them the night previous on the dreaded "OFF LIMITS" shelf and the next thing anyone knew they were firmly gripped in what appeared to be a very angry three year olds fist!!!

Verdict.......some 11 hours later it has been determined that the glasses were left not on the dreaded "OFF LIMITS" shelf but worse yet on Skishee's dresser! Apparently Skishee was "cleaning" his area of the room and happened across the glasses. Despite numerous attempts to get his brother to "relocate" them he became a little angry and his words "With my big strong muscles I wrecked them Mommy. I was just so 'frusterated' and I had used my kind words first but he was ignoring me!!!


Now this would not be the first time we dealt with lack of self control in this house nor will it be the last I'm sure but.............FOR THE LOVE OF GOODNESS........!!!!! does this look like a little frustration or more like pure and total destruction by the hands of an angry and I mean ANGRY three year old!!!






Yes you are seeing correctly!!!!! They are totally destroyed and in three pieces!!! Not only is one lens out of the frame but one arm ripped off and the other twisted completely!!!

This is one of those patience moments I pray diligently about. The kind that MUST kick in , in order to "rationally" deal with a disciplinary moment. The moment went like this........."OH GOD help me not to scream and yell like a raving lunatic.....help me to use this moment to teach responsibility and repentance and let not my response land me on tomorrow morning's front page news headline!!!!!!"

Oh my.....those darn Fruit of the Spirit!!!

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