Well bitching isn't helpful

Well, that last post was a tad bitchy, now wasn't it? I sound like a pretty horrible person. I really don't hate my children. I just don't enjoy them when they're fighting/hitting/yelling/barfing. I mean, really, who enjoys their kids when they're doing all that, all the time?

And that is what is going on here in my house. My two older kids fight all the time. I know, kids fight, yadda, yadda, yadda. I know I fought with my brother. But I feel like the fighting periods are seriously outweighing the non-fighting periods and my psyche cannot handle that. I made THE LIST and am constantly referring to it to get my point across to the kids. "Number 5 says be helpful. Throwing your toys on the floor when I ask you to clean them up is NOT helpful. Number one says no hitting or pushing. You must sit in timeout if you push me or your brother/sisters." Since THE LIST is in writing, posted on the basement door, with the punishment of a TIMEOUT listed on THE LIST, why for the love of all that is good in the world, will they fight me on a timeout? It's black and white (really, white paper with black writing!), we've gone over it all, and yet we're in a constant battle. Sigh. I just want to have more happy moments than pissy moments every day. Is that really too much to ask?

Barforama is still raging here. I have so had enough of it all. I can't do anything for the girls except the BRAT diet, and it is working a bit. Annie looked horrible all day today. Those big brown eyes were just so sad. Izzie seemed to have come around a bit tonight before bed (am knocking on wood now). I can only hope that there is no barfing in the night tonight and that tomorrow is a better day for them.

Did I mention that my kids have all but driven away my babysitter? Oh yes, that all happened last week, but I was so caught up with the barfing and fighting that I neglected to mention it. I have help in the form of the lovely Erika on Tuesdays and Wednesdays (hence the lack of blogging on those days, since I feel totally guilty for blogging when I should be PRODUCTIVE), which is a new thing for me. Even when the twins were born and I had a 2 year old (Meg was in kindergarten, full time), I was flying solo. My mother-in-law came on Tuesdays for awhile, weather dependent and that did help a bit, but for the most part, I did it all, all the time (ooh, except for my dad picking Meg up at the bus twice a week, which was awesome!). So it's been an adjustment for me having someone here that can help me do the things that don't get done on the days she isn't here (laundry, dishes, vacuuming!). However, the behavior of my big kids has been hellish when she's here, and last week they completely went all psycho on her while I was out for a whole 45 minutes. I am pretty sure there was head spinning and talking backwards. Needless to say I wouldn't blame her if she didn't want to come anymore, because why should she be treated that way. We'll see what Tuesday brings.

I am going to go into tomorrow with a clean slate and hope that I can make it thru the day without wanting to run. And of course there are only 5 more weeks until school starts again. At least I have that to look forward to.