The Butcher out did himself this year !! He took me to break out bras !( that is a post for another day)He took me to old navy to get tanks and shorts…nice, but the treat was this morning. I had coffee in bed and then in walked the children, led by the Butcher, all wearing paper crowns proclaiming my goodness ! There were lovely cards and a bag full of gum(to make up for the fact that they go into my purse and steal mine all the time). But…he saved the best for last, he wrote a poem. I LOVE poems on mother’s day ! And so for your reading pleasure (drum roll, please)…..

                                          CELEBRATE

            v- sell-a-brat….a poem for muther

               Brats is what we is, rollin’ like the shiz

               crusty butts and crooked smiles

             never matching, we got style

                   we might scream and you know we’ll fart

                   may act dumb,but you know we’re smart

                          you said “no”, we’ll ask again…..

                      won’t back down until we win

           alarm clock rings, we might come down

                could be happy, could have frowns

              never quiet, rarely still…………..

               must   have    action

                 we always will

               here comes mom, she’s such a snoop

  kids wash your hands, after a poop, put down that doggy

      make your bed, you smell awful, did you wash your head ?

                  She prefers manners, don’t be crass

                    but if you mess with her kids, she’ll kick your…..donkey.

disclaimer- I apologize for anything offensive, this is a birdseye view of our life from the Butcher, in his own words.

If your husband did anything half as creative as this, I’d like to know about it. comment.

Yesterday ,I tried the calm approach with my kids. I did not yell, of course ,they did not hear a lot of what I was saying ,and I had to repeat it quite a few times. By the time Thomas got home my face was tight and my ears had steam coming out. Seriously, the first thing he said was ” are you ok ?” I said “yes, I am trying the calm approach”. Ha ! This morning was a different story……..Isaiah didn’t want to get up, we were out later than normal at the soccer game. And started out the morning asking for candy, crying, ignoring Thomas when he told him to get shoes on and brush teeth. Eventually, there was some yelling. He does not take direction well. For those of you handing out advice in your mind right now, be advised- we have tried EVERY approach. We have been hard-nosed, not putting up with anything, we have been rewarders-giving gifts and prizes for good behavior, and we have been pscychologistic(I know thats not a word, thank you) trying to figure out what has caused his hurt and anger. And so far…zip. Nothing really seems to work.

               This morning was bad. I am saying it out loud and in writing, because its just not good to keep things in. I completely had a vision of the old woman who lived in the shoe…theres only four of them….what do I do ?

NO.  I would not.

     complain about them…yes.

      beg them to stop….done that.

          pinch them….. unfortunately yes.

       stop the car and sit while crying silently…….afraid so people.

But I would not put them out of the car, ultimately, I am responsible for their safety, their instruction, their understanding of the rules. Basically, I am saying that if your kids are bickering so bad that you want to put them out of your car ,onto the street…..YOU, as the mom, have to take some of the responsibility.