I'm No Joke...

"FYI; Mom is no Joke!".... these were my words to my daughter this morning.

"Cora, do you want to put earrings in this morning?".....nothing....Repeat....nothing....stomp into the living to see my daughter playing on her father's Ipad: "Cora, FYI: Mom is no Joke"; "When I speak to you, what are you supposed to do" ..."Listen?", "Well yes, that too, but you are suppose to ANSWER ME"...."Is what you are doing so important that you can't answer me?"....stomp away.

Overheard- "Lukey, Newsflash - Mom is no joke"  Awesome, so glad you got that part (sarcasm). 

"Now, Cora, do you want to put earrings in this morning"....nothing.... Seriously, I may just pop a cork here this morning.

 I marched back into the living room and informed my daughter that she was now done with the Ipad due to disobedience (this is becoming a theme of my life - disobedient children).  Luke, taking full advantage of the situation says "hey mom, since Cora can't play the Ipad, can I?"  "Sure Luke, have at it...."

The crying was so loud - so out of control - So unnecessary!  "When you are done throwing a fit about your choice to blatantly disobey me, you let me know; and in the meantime, get your shoes on because the bus will be here soon"

Wow, this parenting stuff is a great time.  Why do so many things have to be a challenge? 

This morning followed an evening of lecturing my son (for at least 30 minutes) on the need to obey the rules, listen, participate and complete tasks even when we don't understand the importance of them or think they are unnecessary.  "It is not OK to "buck" the system just because you can"...I think I am still "horse" from that conversation. 

I am realizing that these little things that my kids do are small ways that they control situations.  Not responding, not doing what is asked of them, bucking the system just because.  My kids (and probably lots of others) like to be in control (or at least have the appearance of being in control).

Sharing my plight with the Body Flex class I teach, one person said to me  (jokingly) "I wonder who they take after"...  She thought she was being funny, but deep down, I knew, they take after ME!

At some level, I enjoy being in control.  And, that being said, strange things make me feel out of control. 

This morning, in the midst of my stellar parenting, I was emptying the dishwasher.  During this process, I had containers on the counter from the cupboard (because I needed to put the clean ones in the proper stacks) and I was making a lunch for Luke and cleaning up from breakfast. 

At one point I looked around me and there was nothing but clutter -- Dirty dishes to go in the dishwasher, clean dishes to be put away and containers all over the counter (so they would be put away properly)...I felt a wave of panic come over me... AHHH.  This clutter made me feel so out of control. 

I quickly worked at getting the dishwasher unloaded, getting those stinkin containers put away and getting those dirty dishes into the dishwasher....I grabbed a rag, wiped up the island where the kids had been sitting and just like that, I was back in business, I could think again -- Control of Cleanliness to my rescue! 

Now, back to getting these kids out the door....including earrings for the little one.

You might not think so based on my OCD mannerisms, but I have come a long way (at least I think I have).  I have learned the hard way that life is one big lesson in not being in control.  And in that lesson I have also learned that how you deal with being out of control says a lot about you as a person.....and sometimes you have to have moments of feeling in control to handle all the times you really aren't.

I get it Luke and Cora - Mommy knows what it is like to feel the need to be in control.  So, you have your moments of "controlling", but know that I am still your mother and I am "no joke".