Observations While Making Dinner

Things around here can be quite...hectic. With 5 kids, not always on the best of behavior and myself, not always on top of the discipline thing, it does get a little crazy. I had spent the day at the hall, first attending Sister's Class and lunch, but followed by chatting with Amanda, helping her organize some tables and working through some logistics for the upcoming study weekend. The girls had worked on their school work while I had my class, so after lunch they were free to run about with Amanda's kids and enjoy the afternoon, cool though it was. I did not end up leaving the hall until sometime after 4-it was quite a long day. But, I was feeling good about what I'd accomplished today. I put Baby in the pack n play (you know, to keep him safe-safe from the other kids and safe from himself) while I made dinner. I'm working on taco meat and my mind is going a million miles a minute. I'm humming and smiling to myself because I'm pretty sure the kids will enjoy dinner (not always happening around here).

As I buzz around the kitchen, putting together dinner, clearing the school books from the kitchen table and wondering if Chris will be home on time, I see from the corner of my eye the kids. They are running back and forth, surely up to no good and then it dawns on me what I'm really seeing-David is grabbing a handful of chips from the newly filled bowl, Gracie has a pinch of shredded cheese dangling from her fingers like chewing tobacco and I finally have the presence of mind to yell-"hey! Get out of here!" as they run off cackling like birds and I hear Byron say, "David! Can I have some of that!?" Smart boy. Send the little underfed one in to grab a handful of food.

The next thing I know there is a tussle in the kitchen over dog treats. It went something like this:

David-I'm going to feed Jessie her dog treat!

Grace-No you aren't!! I AM! DAVID!

David-Byron said I could!

Baby-SCREAM....SCREAM....(from the pack and play)

Grace-He said I could! BYYYYROOOON! You said I could feed the dog her treat! (wah, wah, stomp, stomp, cry, huff, puff, head hang, sob)

David-Graaaacciiiiieeeeeeeeeee....

Baby-SCREAM...SCREAM...WAIL...(the sun was apparently in his eyes which I thought was a clever way of making him close them and go to sleep-clearly he didn't pick up on my subtle sleepy-time technique)

Me-STOP! Give me that dog treat! No one is feeding the dog her treat!

Ruth-Byron, you can't tell one person they can feed the dog a treat and then tell another person that he can feed the dog a treat. It just causes confusion!

Byron-(obviously not sure what to make of this kerfuffle) Ok.

Me-Goodness! You guys are bickering over a dog treat? (sigh...)

Some days I just shake my head because there are no words.