Silly Fight

At times, there can be a lot of fighting at our house. Mostly it is fighting between Michael and Claire but lately- Matthew has learned the 'skill of fighting' and has joined in on the chaos. I really don't let my kids get away with hitting/pushing/slapping. I have found that in the long run- it is best to stay on top of this and not make idle threats I don't intend to follow up on. We have a rule in the house. Don't use your hands. I am sure some of you are laughing at me and that is okay. I laugh at myself sometimes, too. I have found that by repeating this phrase to my kids- I can cover a lot of my expectations with it. It gives me something to fall back on. I let the kids know that I value them telling me about a problem rather that smacking someone in the hope of solving it. Sometimes I feel like a broken record but you know what? It works! Do Michael and Claire still fighton a daily basis? Sure. Does Matthew run around here weilding a foam axe while hitting people randomly? Yes (but only while wearing his 'turtle hat'). I realize that they are kids and are going to hit but what I want them to know is that if they choose to hit- they will get in trouble. It least gives me a little buffer around here.

We do love a good fight around here, though. There is a lot of competivite juice in this house and when we get the chance to fight fairly and for fun- we pretty much go all out! Damien, Michael, and Claire all had cans of silly string and they prepared to go to war in the backyard. As usual, Damien was totally game for this while I opted out to stay inside with the two little guys. Someone had to do it :) It was so funny to watch them spray each other down out there. There were a few rules. Rule #1- Claire wanted to make sure it was clear that she and Daddy could spray each other, but that Michael was not allowed to get her. No surprise there. Rule #2- No spraying anyone in the face. Claire broke this rule in this picture. Rule #3- Michael then stated that Claire could not spray him. So basically it was everyone get Damien and their plan seemed to work.

They had so much fun out there and it was good for everyone to let loose a little and have some fun. Michael was the one who bought the silly string at the Dollar Store with money from his piggy bank and had the whole idea of fighting. He was awfully proud of himself for accomplishing his goal! Watching the string fly and my two oldest kids laughing hysterically as Damien wiped the string out of his eyes, hair, and other parts was so much fun. You have to stop and enjoy life or it just passes you by. Thank you Michael for thinking of such a fun activity and reminding me what really matters most.