I hate the hour and a half between 4:30 and 6 o' clock. (Keep in mind Kyle is gone until 10:30 every evening Monday thru Friday). Right about 4:30 when I'm trying to get dinner ready Spencer and Janelle turn into whining monsters.
J- "I'm hungry."
L- "I know Janelle, that's why I'm making dinner."
J- "Oh. Spencer's bothering me."
L- "Why don't you go play outside?"
J- "NO! I don't want to."
L- "Then take your toys into your room and shut the door."
S- "Eat!"
L- "Look Spencer, Mommy's making you dinner."
Janelle coming out of her room.
J- "See this little cut on my foot (that is the size of a pin head and happened days ago), it REALLY hurts."
L- "I think you're okay."
S- "Mine" (Grabbing a toy away from Janelle).
*Crying*
L- "Spencer, NO NO. Give the toy back to Janelle and say sorry. Be nice. Janelle just go back in your room and he won't bother you."
S- "Mommy, Eat?" (Whining at the pantry door.)
L- "I know Spencer, look, Mommy's making you dinner."
Janelle coming out of the playroom.
J- "Spencer made a big mess in the playroom and I am NOT cleaning it up!"
L- "Okay, just go play IN YOUR ROOM."
S- "Mommy, aba?" ("Granola bar")
L- "No Spencer, Mommy is almost done making dinner."
*Screaming*
S- "Choo choo Mommy?" (Asking to watch "Thomas" on tv.)
J- "Can we have cereal for dinner?"
L- "No Janelle, I'm making you some pasta."
J- "I want cereal!"
L- "Too bad!"
S- "MOMMY, EAT!!!"
L- "Okay, Spencer, here are some grapes, go sit down and eat them until dinner is ready."
J- "I want some grapes too."
L- "Fine, HERE, now sit down and be quiet until dinner is ready!"
...
It's about at this point that I turn the tv on to reduce the tension and noise. I really try not to let my kids watch a lot of tv, but there are just those moments that it is the only thing that saves my sanity.
While I was making dinner this particular evening, I let Spencer play with the water in the sink to keep him occupied and out from under my feet (which is where he likes to be when I'm in the kitchen). Despite the lake on the floor and his drenched clothes when he was done, it kept him occupied for a good 20 minutes! Here's what he looked like when he was done.
L- "I know Janelle, that's why I'm making dinner."
J- "Oh. Spencer's bothering me."
L- "Why don't you go play outside?"
J- "NO! I don't want to."
L- "Then take your toys into your room and shut the door."
S- "Eat!"
L- "Look Spencer, Mommy's making you dinner."
Janelle coming out of her room.
J- "See this little cut on my foot (that is the size of a pin head and happened days ago), it REALLY hurts."
L- "I think you're okay."
S- "Mine" (Grabbing a toy away from Janelle).
*Crying*
L- "Spencer, NO NO. Give the toy back to Janelle and say sorry. Be nice. Janelle just go back in your room and he won't bother you."
S- "Mommy, Eat?" (Whining at the pantry door.)
L- "I know Spencer, look, Mommy's making you dinner."
Janelle coming out of the playroom.
J- "Spencer made a big mess in the playroom and I am NOT cleaning it up!"
L- "Okay, just go play IN YOUR ROOM."
S- "Mommy, aba?" ("Granola bar")
L- "No Spencer, Mommy is almost done making dinner."
*Screaming*
S- "Choo choo Mommy?" (Asking to watch "Thomas" on tv.)
J- "Can we have cereal for dinner?"
L- "No Janelle, I'm making you some pasta."
J- "I want cereal!"
L- "Too bad!"
S- "MOMMY, EAT!!!"
L- "Okay, Spencer, here are some grapes, go sit down and eat them until dinner is ready."
J- "I want some grapes too."
L- "Fine, HERE, now sit down and be quiet until dinner is ready!"
...
It's about at this point that I turn the tv on to reduce the tension and noise. I really try not to let my kids watch a lot of tv, but there are just those moments that it is the only thing that saves my sanity.
While I was making dinner this particular evening, I let Spencer play with the water in the sink to keep him occupied and out from under my feet (which is where he likes to be when I'm in the kitchen). Despite the lake on the floor and his drenched clothes when he was done, it kept him occupied for a good 20 minutes! Here's what he looked like when he was done.
Boy am I glad it's nighttime and they're both trapped in their beds until morning. Whew!P.S. Need an easy cheesy dinner idea? Go here.
P.P.S. Interested in a REALLY good cookie recipe? Go here.
8 comments:
I feel your pain!!! Oh do I ever. we had a rough day with Kathryn today. Fortunately, Shane is usually home by 5:30. Dinner time at our house is often like it was at yours. Impatient children who don't seem to understand that you are working as fast as you possibly can. Oh the joys of motherhood. :)
oh man!! I can only imagine!! Zach is not an easy baby..but he thankfully is USUALLY a great shopper...but tonight I went to target after he was in bed....and I only had to pick up like 2 things...and I was just stuck their because it was so nice to not have to worry about a child trying to jump out of the cart! And yeah I pretty much hate 4:30 to 7...it's the hardest time..I can't imagine my husband not getting home till 1030..I would die..he already doesn't get home till 830-900 three days a week and that is bad enough! good luck : )I look up to you and sarah!
That sounds SO familiar. There is something about that time of day (when it's time to cook dinner) that makes kids start to need all the attention in the world. To keep my sanity, I try to just keep my sense of humor during that time of day, and laugh about all the kids' whining. But, I also often end up putting in a video as sanity-saver, and then end up feeling a bit guilty.
try crockpot dinners that you fix while he's napping, or frozen lasagna is always good, or just let them have cereal until those darn taks tests are done being graded!!! and believe it or not, most of the stares at the stores are looks of...oh, i'm so sorry she has to go thru that, i've been there, and done that with my own kids. and if they aren't then they've never had kids!!!
you're a great mom-hang in there and keep up the good work!!
or just yell really loud like me!!
Laura, I can sympathize. It seems as though this is how my last 3 years have been - no daddy until the kids are in bed and the kids get cranky! Of course, no daddy for the past 3 years is a BIT of an exaggeration (just a bit :)) b/c there have been breaks between semesters and summer time, but its hard! I know on the weeks (like this one) that daddy won't be home until 11 or 12 each night it is hard to have the stamina to deal with it all day long on your own. The dinner time thing sounds all too familiar. Good luck! I hope that the weekend comes quickly for you.
Is that what I have to look forward to in a year?? It's bad now with me having to hold Douglas the whole time I'm making dinner.
Those bewitching hours are the worst, it seems as if I am running from 4:30 to 6:30 every night, and even more so when Jeff is gone on trips. I've been there (I'm there right now!), I know! About 4 or so I pull out a fun activity that helps me get things situatied for dinner... tonight was cereal necklaces, easy cheezy, and the kids will do it for hours if I let them. It gave me a free hour to cook dinner and get it ready at least. I just sweep the crumbs from the cereal with dinner crumbs and its no extra work. Keep busy hands-busy! One night, I had them peel oranges for there dessert. It took them 25 minutes. Sometimes I get out the small broom and dustpan and have them "sweep" the kitchen floor, just keeping those hands busy. I know this is all dorky advice, but it seems to work (not always, but most of the time) for me.
If all else fails, there is always sponge bob.
I totally hate the hours of 4:30-630 too. I just count down until they go to bed. That's great advice from Emily. I am going to try all of those things!
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