Hard Lessons

I found this quote and am in love with it! I love being a Mom. I can't think of any greater calling in life. I'm a big softy and push over though, so as you can imagine it's hard for my kids to take my threats seriously sometimes. I always complain to JD that the kids never listen to me unless I am screaming at the top of my lungs and he always says it's because I am inconsistent. It's true. I will call out a threat and then later fold on it. Kids are smart dangit and they know what they can get away with.

So tonight I was getting ready to take the kids to Cold Stone after dinner since their school was having a fundraiser there. I told them to clean up around the house and we could go. I told Avery several times to take her CD player back to her room. She kept lally gagging around the house tinkering on Laurel's cell phone. When we were almost out the door I noticed that the CD player had managed to make it's way onto the couch in the next room and that's as far as it got. When I called for Avery she came out of a different room still playing with the phone! I told her that's it, she is not coming. The second I said that to her, I knew that she would cry and I would fold. I really had no intention on following through with it, just another empty threat to scare her. Well I started thinking, "this is my chance to really make a statement to the kids that I mean business!" So, we left without her. Poor thing was sobbing uncontrollably in the garage as we were pulling out. My heart was racing. I felt HORRIBLE! I  was so close to opening the garage door back up and letting her in the van. I couldn't believe I was actually doing it. I think it was harder for me than for her! Sweet Jace said that he didn't want to go anymore because he felt so bad we were leaving Avery. I told him it's a consequence to her choice. I planned on bringing her an ice cream home anyways, I'm not that MEAN!

We grabbed our ice cream to go and the boys were extremely well behaved. They buckled their seat belts without me harping a million times for them to do it. They knew I was serious! We got home and Avery was still crying. Felt pretty bad about that, but she perked up when we told her we brought her ice cream. I was able to sit with her and talk to her about choices and consequences. It was a good lesson and I have to say, I'm proud of myself. It was HARD. Man, this Mom business is tough stuff sometimes!