Multiple Personalities

I have 2 situations brewing simotaneously.  First, I have a household with 6 members, each with their own distinct genetic make up.  This always proves to be challenging when it comes to planning things, because most likely someone is going to feel they ended up with the short straw.

There are very few daily tasks where everyone is happy, and usually thase involves tacos, doughnuts, soda, or cash.  But, even then you risk the wrong type...  It's like the lottery, with an unlikely chance at unanomous satisfaction. 

Then there are horomones, and not mine.  The horomones I speak of are saturated with puberty and a hint of body odor.  Often times, you will not know how even the best news will be received.  Or just how long someone can pout until they forget why they are pouting. 

And then there are moments where mediation or perhaps a SWAT team would be helpful.

Today would be a perfect example of what I am talking about.

Izzy is on Winter Break.  But, being the loving caring evil Mother that I am, she has tutoring from 8:30 to 11:30 three days this week.  After All I have to give that Tiger Mom lady a run for her money......  And no Izzy is not the only kid in the group, there are about 50 kids whose Mother's forced them to go. 

Izzy is not too happy with this plan.  In fact, she has expressed her opinion in more ways than I can count.  And I have had to channel my inner wall as a defensive tactic. 

I had to chuckle as I watched her approach the car line at her school today.  She was smiling and bubbly until she saw me.  Once she noticed me, the pout shrouded her face.  As she climbed into the car, she slumped into her seat and crossed her arms.  I think it took every ounce of control to keep that up, because she was a bit antsy.

Once we got home, she eased up a bit.  There was some TV, there was lunch.  And then it was time for the park. 

Please note, it was Izzy's idea to go to the park.  The boys did not want to go.  Ike had this whole scenario going with exploding legos and army men falling off the landing of our stairs.  Moops and Alex were completely engaged in a thrilling episode of MythBusters.  So there was some coaxing, there was a little bit of a resistence.  And we had to find Ike's other shoe.

Everything was going well though, that is until Ike asked to drive the "LONG" way to the park, which is like 15 seconds longer than the short way.  You would have thought Izzy's hair was on fire, by her reaction.

When we finally made it to the park, she then refused to get out of the car.  My inner wall is really getting used a lot lately.  I finally got her out of the car, by leaving her in the car by herself.  She's 11, if she wants to pout, she can do it by herself.  And she lasted a whole milisecond, and was out of the car before I was. 

She then got herself comfortable on a park bench, crossed her arms, and continued her protest of a good time. 

It was only when I told her she could not play the marble game on my phone that she decided she would give the playground a chance. 

That was until.........  Dun Dun Dunnnnnnnnn.  Some kid that was in her tutoring group showed up.  Back on the bench she was, seething with irritation and Izzy rage.  Apparently the kid is annoying, and caused Izzy great strife.  I think if you were to ask him what he thought, he wouldn't have a clue what you were talking about, or who Izzy was. 

After a good hour at the park, and Alex needing a good hosing off.  It was time to head to Jiu Jitsu.   Izzy didn't want to go.  So, back to pouting we returned.  I think she forgot she didn't want to go, because once we arrived she was having a grand ol' time. 

Well, she was having a grand ol' time until I told her it was Alex's turn to sit in the coveted seat of the minivan.  This time pouting wasn't enough.  We got an all out meltdown, stomping of feet, crossing arms, a thick saturated drawn out "MOMMY!"

That is when I had to pull out the big guns.  Yes, I did it.  I admit it.  I told my Daughter, if she kept up the tantrum she would go straight to bed when we got home. 

And fortunately for her, she backed off and retreated to the dreaded seat she didn't want to sit in and stuck with pouting.

For a while things were going pretty great!  But then again, I made tacos for Dinner.  And as I stated above, tacos are somehow a magical food that makes everyone happy!  Unless of course they are chicken tacos instead of beef, or I forgot to buy crunchy shells and we only have flour tortillas....

We even got through chores and bathtime unscathed.  I was also under the impression that all 4 of my little darlings went to bed with only a little bit of resistance. 

So, thinking I now had the freedom to chat on the phone uninterupted.  I called my Grandmother. 

But, being that the phone has some sort of magnetic pull.  A child found their way out of their bed, and downstairs.  No matter how hard Izzy tries, the phone is more powerful. 

Now, I had sent her to bed at least an hour earlier.  So, she should have already been asleep.  Instead, she was just a few feet from me, testing the waters.  She claimed she was thirsty, and had run out of water.  I had informed her that she has a bathroom with a faucet upstairs, she did not need to come downstairs (AN HOUR AFTER BEDTIME) for water.  She gasped and said "Do you really expect me to drink THAT water?  It's gross!".  I sighed, my Grandmother laughed out loud.  And I replied with "It's the same water you would get from the kitchen faucet.".  Her rebuttal "But I want cold water".  Which I countered with "well turn on the cold water instead of the hot water".  My Grandmother is really laughing now. 

After about a 2 minute standoff, Izzy finally heads back up to bed with no water from downstairs.  I had to fight this battle, otherwise it would have continued and festered into other battles of whit.

Tomorrow morning the battle continues, as Izzy will once again have tutoring and will be required to wake up at a reasonable hour.  I will get to hear how her friends are sleeping in, even the ones that are actually failing.  And I will again, dust off my inner wall and proceed with caution.

And to think, she has 3 younger siblings that will all go through puberty as well...