Filled with Naughtiness!

In case some of you readers got the impression that my rugrats are angels at all times, I am sorry to say that I have misled you. The sad fact is, these munchkins are often filled with mischief that soon turns into outright naughtiness. Unfortunately, there are days that we have surpassed the two minute warning, the 5 minute penalty on the naughty stool, the promised smack on the bum, all to no avail.

Last weekend was a prime example.

Devlin woke up whiny. Of all the misbehaviours, whining tops my list. I can't stand to listen to that. The morning started off on the wrong foot. Then Ceilidh joined in. Not to be outdone, Aisling decided to cling and whine also. Wayne and I did rocks, paper, scissors to see who get the first escape (i.e. the shower).

We held out the promise of an afternoon outing to the movies if they behaved. They didn't.

There was a disagreement over the breakfast menu. Then Devlin wanted to play a board game with Daddy. Ceilidh wanted to play too. Fine. Then Ceilidh and Devlin decided to argue over who got to sit where. They pushed at each other, until inevitably one child landed on the floor. A trip to the naughty stool. No apology or remorse. Another trip to the time-out stool.

Ceilidh refused to get ready for dance class. Devlin whined about getting ready for skating. (Really, maybe we should have just refused to take them to their lessons. But that's punishment for the parents who don't get even a 30 minute break from this craziness.) Ceilidh wanted Daddy to take her to dance. I needed to go because I had errands to run. Put crying Ceilidh into car. Left whining Devlin and clingy Aisling at home to get ready for skating.

Returned home after dance class. Ceilidh's mood has improved drastically. Devlin's has deteriorated even more so. Aisling was at least napping, albeit briefly.

After lunch, there was another tussle. Someone got hit in the face. Someone got pushed to the floor. Someone got their cheeks pinched. Someone else got their hair pulled. If I had a whistle, I would blown it. Instead, we enforced naps on all three. Two complied, but the youngest refused. And she kept trying to wake up her older siblings. Apparently, wreaking havoc isn't any fun without your cohorts. I needed a nap!

At my wits' end, I took Aisling out to the Walmart while the other two slept. We picked up some needed items. She started rubbing her eyes while in the check out line. Got her into the car seat. Started the drive home. Her eyes started to droop. Drove around the neighbourhoods while she gently snored. Pulled into the empty driveway. (I guess Daddy thought taking the kids to the movie which they so didn't deserve was better than dealing with another 2 hours of whining/ fighting/craziness.) Aisling was still asleep. So, I unloaded the purchases while I left her in the car. Still she slept. I gently undid the car seat harnesses. Still snoring gently. Picked her up and brought her in. Still asleep. Took off her shoes and unzipped the jacket. Eyes still closed. Put her in bed and gently removed jacket. Still sleeping. Got up to leave the room, and ...Aisling is now awake. Despite all efforts, she refused to close her eyes again.

By the end of the day, any thought of spending some alone time with my spouse and a bottle of wine after the kids were asleep were long gone. Rather, when the kids fell asleep, we, too, were asleep.