My Peaceful Boy-Filled Life

My kids are doing this thing lately that's driving me INSANE.  It's the whiny, high-pitched, arguing with each other.  They fight about the most inane things.  Who gets to hold the remote.  Who gets to be the Vikings when they play Madden.  Who touched who in the backseat.  And it's the tone of it all that really gets to me.

I know this is a universal thing.  I remember my parents being driven to the edge of sanity by our squabbling.  I have little to no patience for it.  And the worst thing is, sometimes I find myself basically joining in!  I have actually been involved in heated discussions over who's turn it is to pick what channel they get to watch.  It's horrible how long it takes me to realize how idiotic this is and to just withdraw from the whole issue.  I have to remind myself that I'm never going to completely stop them from pick-pick-picking, but I at least don't have to be involved.  I'm trying a new approach lately--when I hear them doing that I tell them to go upstairs if they need to continue this discussion because I don't need to listen to it.  That usually gets them to stop for a while because it's silly to go upstairs to continue fighting.  Ha!

The worst is when we're in the car.  I have a little Focus, it's a tiny little thing, and when they're arguing it becomes like a torture chamber.  I feel like my brain is swelling.  And there are so many times when we're riding along, me in the passenger seat, the hubby driving, and I have the two goofballs in the back fighting about who gets to hold whatever piece of crap they're holding at the moment, kicking at each other and wriggling around like toddlers, and the hubby in the front seat, oblivious to it all, trying to give me his latest take on current events.  I'm sitting in my seat, desperately trying to listen to what hubby's talking about so I'm not rude, trying to ignore the kids because I can't stomach hollering at them for the 17th time in five minutes, and feeling like I'm literally about to explode.  Then I finally freak out, scream at the kids to knock it off, and look at my hubby like I'm trying to pay attention to him.  He usually just looks at me like I'm the crazy one, and why am I so grumpy?  Augh!

The particular career my hubby has chosen is one in which he is required to be able to focus on his task no matter what the environment around him is like.  So he is able to laser focus on things--the tv, his current conversation, whatever website he's looking at--and not be distracted no matter what.  I swear, the house could be burning around him, and if he's paying attention to something else, he'd burn up in the blaze.  I cannot do that.  If I am talking to someone, I can't concentrate if there's screaming kids in the background.  I think he gets frustrated by my lack of patience with those situations, but I am bewildered by his ability to shut things out.  Maybe it's just a guy thing.  But still, it makes me bonkers.

Here we are, entering the joyous holiday season.  We have our first coating of snow on the ground.  We got our lights up outside the house yesterday.  We should be all peace and harmony, right?  But alas, I have young boys.  And a hubby.  Sometimes I feel so outnumbered by boys I feel like I need to run away to a spa.  Even though I don't think I would enjoy a spa--I'm not one who would like facials and massages.  But I got out for a dinner with SIL1 last night, and it was delightful.  And oh so necessary.  Then this morning it was back to refereeing the little sweeties.  Funny how one night out can make me feel like I have the strength to put up with the men in my life for a longer time.  I love my men.  I really do.  But sometimes I get lost in it all.