Monday, January 12, 2015

Well. My Day is Complete. I Have Incited Tears.

We had a snow day today.

Actually, that's a misnomer. We had an ice day today.

Given all the sleet and freezing rain, I was relieved when the two-hour delay turned into no school. I loathe two-hour delays, because they always end with everybody being cranky.

The kids have been remarkably well-behaved today, and I haven't needed to play referee too much.

The biggest spat occurred right after 7p.

I heard shouting, followed by, "I'm telling!"

Scene: Den

Small Fry: Mommy, I was watching Sofia the First and then Medium changed it, and then she didn't change it back!

Medium Fry: Nuh-uh! I just wanted to see if 7Ds was on, and it wasn't, so I went back to 49! And I wanted to watch Liv and Maddie, not Sofia the First!

Me: But was the TV on channel 49 to begin with?

Small: No!

Medium: Yes!

Me: What show was on before Medium changed it to check if 7Ds was on, Small?

Small: Sofia the First!

Me: Medium, is that right?

Medium: I was just wanting to check—

Me: What show was on?

Medium: Mickey Mouse?

Me: Large, come down here please!

She bounded down the stairs and into the den.

Me: Large, what show was on the TV before Medium changed it to see if 7Ds was on?

Large Fry: 49.

Me [migraine salute]: Not what channel. What show was on the TV?

Large: I think Jake and the Neverland Pirates.

Well. Fabulous. I have been given three different shows.

I called up the onscreen guide on the den TV. Sure enough, Liv and Maddie was on the Disney Channel, and Sofia was on Disney Junior, which was pretty much exactly what I expected. However, since the onscreen guide won't tell me what was airing during the 6:30 timeslot, hello, tvguide.com.

And we have an answer. The upstairs TV was definitely on Disney Junior.

With that, I rendered judgment.

Me: Okay. The TV was on Disney Junior, so that's where it stays. You two may go.

Small and Large left the room.

I eyeballed Medium, whose glare was not quite defiant but definitely irked.

Me: If you would like to watch TV, you may go upstairs and watch nicely with your sisters. You'll have to watch what they're watching. If you don't want to do that, then you can find something else to do.

Medium: But I want to watch TV!

Me: You can. You just have to watch what your sisters are watching.

Medium: I don't like that! It's booooring!

Me: Then find something else to do. There's lots to do. You could read a book, you could draw...

Medium: I don't think that drawing is for me!

Me [surprised]: What about sketching? You like sketching.

Medium: I've run out of things to sketch.

Me: There's lots of things you could sketch. You could sketch Kimo.

Medium: I already did him.

Me: You could sketch him again.

Medium: I already know how he looks in sketching.

Me: Then find something else to do.

Medium: I wanted to play my Leapster, but I can't find it.

Me: The last place I saw it was the Put Away Box. If you didn't put it in the drawer downstairs where it belongs, that's too bad.

Medium: I had it up in my room before, but now it's not there.

Me: It doesn't belong in your room.

Medium: But I don't know where it is.

Me: That's because you didn't put it back where it belongs.

And that's when she slunk off downstairs and I heard muffled tears.

Well, hooray. Score one for Mom tonight.

It didn't take more than 15 minutes, though, before she had found a way to play with her sisters again.

That doesn't mean I'm not relieved that it's now bedtime, though.

2 comments:

  1. The teenage years are going to be ever so enjoyable at your house.

    ReplyDelete

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