Still on Friday--gathered Boy and Tiny Terror with me and left the older girls at home with the idea that if they got hungry, we had plenty of things to make sandwiches out of, and that I would be back pretty soon, and not to answer the door, and to call me if they needed help.
Out the door, and on to Sam's for bulk dry goods, condiments, and canned items, of which, we bought much. And it took forever. Catherine was hungry when we got there and continued to be so, because the sample ladies weren't set up with samples. (Apparently the bit of food she had to begin with didn't count as anything.) Out to the van with everything, loaded, called home, girls had not eaten for some reason. Reminded them that they could. Called Reba, found out I had forgotten something, so had to go back in the store, past the HIGHLY ANNOYING guy shilling newspapers for the band boosters. Grr. Asked me to buy one on the way out, AND on the way back in five minutes later.
Didn't have the forgotten item (that being, Schick Intuition shaver head) so it was off to the actual grocery store for frozen and fresh items. With a stop for breakfast-lunch. Which is nigh unto inexcusable to kids--they could have all the food in the world for lunch, and then whine about having missed breakfast. Or, you can feed them a late "breakfast" with breakfasty foods, and they think they HAVE to eat again at lunch. "You HAD breakfast! Remember? The stuff you got into this morning before we left?!" "No, sir"
"Dad?" said Boy, "I didn't have breakfast."
::sigh:: "Son, I told you to fix yourself something, did you not?"
"No sir."
So, in order for them not to attract Sally Struthers with their withered condition, I stopped at Burger King and got us some lunch. I hadn't had anything, either, so I was hungry, too. Enough to risk getting jumped by the plastic-headed creep who owns the place.
Thus replenished, we went back down the hill, over the interstate, back over another hill, and down it, to Main Street, turned right, and stopped at Winn Dixie, mainly because they have really good NutraSweet sweetened sweet tea already made up in big gallon jugs. MMmm. Shopped, bought stuff, loaded it all up, and to home. Pretty good--back by noon:30.
Unloaded with our usual teamwork, put stuff away, found out that Oldest was intensely jealous that we had stopped to buy lunch, even though she slept until after 11, and had managed to make herself an egg and toast and could have made several varieties of sandwiches. Seems that having to actually MAKE the lunch is almost more than she could tolerate. I very nearly asked her if she's so put-out by ALL THAT EFFORT if next time she'd like one of us to chew her food up for her.
I said "nearly"--you have to pick your battles.
As it was, her being miffed meant that she stayed locked up in her room that much longer, delaying the inevitable time before she would emerge to pick fights with her siblings.
::sigh::
You may have noticed I don't post about these struggles as I used to--I can't help it. It just presses all my angry buttons again, and I'd rather not have them pushed continually. And I can't really say what I'd like to say and still stay within the bounds I have set for this venue. I might have to start an anonymous blog...
ANYWAY, the other part of the afternoon was spent urging the children to clean their rooms--the incentive being that Mom had promised a movie night, contingent upon all the driftjunk being cleaned up.
Which is was, eventually, with no time to spare, but enough to allow MOVIE TIME!
Next: Possumovie Reviews!
Posted by Terry Oglesby at November 14, 2005 01:43 PMStart another blog? I presume each of your personalities will then have one of their own.
Posted by: skinnydan at November 14, 2005 02:51 PMHeh--as if.
Posted by: Terry Oglesby at November 14, 2005 02:59 PM"Unloaded with our usual teamwork ..."
Do you actually have them trained to help, bringing the bags in and gently placing them on the counter, followed by putting the freshly purchased items in the appropriate places and placing the empty bags in the empty bag holder, or are you just lucky if they happen to hold the door for you (once) while you try to carry five bags in each hand while the plastic handles start to slice off your fingers?
[Yes, that was one sentence.]
For now I'm lucky if I can get my youngster to hold the door open (usually after yelling), but he's 7 so I have some time for training.
I'm sorry to hear about the sibling fighting. Reminds me of old days with my three other siblings. We survived and I'm sure you will too. The difficult part is being the parent, not blowing your top and trying to control the situation even though it's the same old junk, just a different day. I know you have reasonable expectations for your oldest, yet it sounds like she's not meeting them. Keep praying for her, and maybe even pray together father-daughter style.
Posted by: MarcV at November 14, 2005 03:23 PMNo, actual, honest team work. First step is to get the frozen stuff into the freezer as fast as possible, which is done all higgledy-piggledy, then the next is to form a bucket-brigade-like line to get the rest of the stuff from the car to the kitchen. After this, they hang around and I get them to hand me stuff to put away. The two younger ones did it this time, so I had just enough help with no fighting.
As for fighting, it wouldn't be quite so bad if Oldest would take up for her younger siblings when someone else picks on them. She's just as likely to be the instigator, or ready to chime in and be one of the fellow pickers-on.
Trust me, I pray for both of us.
Posted by: Terry Oglesby at November 14, 2005 03:33 PMHey, a place for us parents to anonymously gripe about our kids sounds like a fine idea to me. We could have a contest, and see whose 15 year old daughter is the most obnoxious/ungrateful/self-absorbed/rude/lazy/lacking in good judgment. I bet I win.
Posted by: Grouchy Old Yorkie Lady at November 14, 2005 03:41 PMShow-off!
Posted by: Terry Oglesby at November 14, 2005 03:42 PM[Putting my fingers in my ears] I'm not listening. Lalalalala! With two daughters who will some day reach 15, if they live that long, I don't think I want to know any more.
Posted by: Jordana at November 14, 2005 03:50 PMOh, it'll be okay. We're just joking! It's just what parents with teenagers say, just so people will pay attention to us. Teens are really fun to have around! Lots of fun! In fact, if you're not busy, I'll go pick mine up from school and let her spend the afternoon at your house! Or even just an hour! Or ten minutes! PLEASE! It will be SO. MUCH. FUN. for you!
Posted by: Terry Oglesby at November 14, 2005 03:55 PM