The Foorce

So I was working on a Top Ten holiday activities post but what the heck, I’m calling myself out. Swearing, even if it’s “just dammit,” seems more offensive to me during the holiday season, the epitome of anti-merry. Or perhaps Pepper Minstix (our elf on the shelf) is starting to get to me a little bit.

But whatever the reason, the frustration I’m already feeling whenever “dammit” bursts from my lips is only compounded by the fact that I lost my cool, and cursed, in front of one or more of my children. So as an early Christmas present to them, and myself, I’m going to redouble my efforts.

I announced that I was going to stop saying the “D-word” at dinner last night in an effort to be extra good for Christmas. Margaret responded, “I’m going to try not to go into James’s room and tease him.” James followed up with, “I’m going to try to sleep better (and he was only up 5 times last night).”  Adam chirped up. “I didn’t poop.” He needed a change.

I need a change too. But it won’t be easy – here are the Top Ten Reasons I Said Dammit in front of my kids yesterday (ten times, I know):

1. J shouted “bully” at me when I woke him up for the morning, thus waking up all of the other kids. At 6:00.

2. I discovered not one, not two, but five open bags of dog poop in our garbage can on our way out this morning. Makes me want to say the “D-word” just thinking about it.

3. M and A used the freshly returned laundry, folded and bagged, as a “ramp” to do tricks. On the staircase.

4. A tried to sneak my 6-week old a peanut, after asking and being told “no way, that could hurt him.”

5. J spilled boiling water on his foot and then refused to let me take his wet sock off or put ice on it. But continued to cry “my foot is burning,” loudly, waking the baby up.

6. M, holding an empty roll of paper towels, asked me for another paper towel. I asked why. She said to clean up the pee on her floor.

7. James woke up because a raccoon was trying to break into a second story window.

8. James woke up again because his foot hurt.

9. James woke up, again, because he was “frightened to be alone.”

10. A woke up because James’s moaning woke him up.