Oh, man, it is amazing what a little sleep can do! I feel so much better today, but I still need a few more days of rest. I hope the kids cooperate tonight.
I have no idea who/what thought I would make a good parent, but I've decided it must be some kind of sick, twisted joke. I'm not a very patient person, and I have tendencies to fly off the handle for really no reason. I usually do it when I'm tired and the kids have be chewing on my last nerve, like tooth beavers (remember Ren and Stimpy?). This weekend, the boys decided to empty the entire toy box, which they do every so often. I let it go for a few days, but after stepping on toys and kicking them while putting the 3 year old to bed, I decided it was time to pick up. I told them last night they needed to clean, then sat on the bed to make sure they did it. Did they? No. I told them repeatedly, but they wanted to play. I told them if they didn't pick the toys up, I was going to throw them away. The 3 year old then proceeded to tell me he didn't want his toys anymore anyway.
I, not being one who gives idle threats, grabbed the garbage bags and started stuffing away. I thought the reality would set in, but it didn't. He just told me not to take his Spongebob because he wanted to play with it. Then, he asked just to make sure I was throwing them away. I told them I would donate them to daycare so kids could play with them, and he told me which rooms to put them in so he could still play with them! At one point, he even helped me put them in the garbage bag! The kid is 3 and he already knows how to play the game. Talk about all-time back fires!
The toys are in the garage in the trash bags, and I think he might finally realize that he wants them back. I told him he has to earn them back by picking up the living room and he can have one bag. If he picks that up, he can have another until he gets them all back. I'll be surprised if he actually wants them back. He's a stubborn one. He's learned well from both of his parents. The thing that really burns me up about the whole thing: I still had to pick up all his toys!
