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A lesson learned the hard way...

Life's been a little crazy for us. The good news is that the camper we bought in late spring is getting its use, which is why we bought it. The bad news side of that story is that we've not been home the last 3 weekends and are planning to sneak in one more weekend of camping this weekend too. All these weekends of fun = crazy kids. Add in the fact that Jason and I camped "adults only" with a big group of friends this weekend, which means the kids were spoiled by kept by their Grandparents all weekend and you have a recipe for a Sunday evening MELT DOWN. I mean, what parent can live up to a weekend spent with Grams & Gramps....all four in one weekend!?!?

At least they had fun with Grams & Gramps....right?


From the minute we got to my parents on Sunday to pick the kids up....I could tell it was going to be a hairy Sunday evening. Em was a HOT MESS, Keaton was clingy and Colton was talking a mile a minute, which means SLEEPY COLTON. He didn't stop talking about all the cool things Grandpa Brad let him do (that we typically DON'T let him do....see: spoiled by ... above). He got to drive the 4-wheeler. He got to help run cows through the chute to feed them but ONLY because the bull wasn't in there. He got to give mower rides to the little kids. He got to... see a trend here? I said he was chatty.

We did pretty well most of the rest of the afternoon, until I gave up and made the kids clean up their toy room while I finished up downstairs. They weren't happy with me. They weren't happy with each other. They were arguing. They were tattling. They were name calling. And of course, Keaton was ruining EVERYTHING they were doing.  I'd had enough breaking up fights, and decided it was Dad's turn. You know, when Dad gets involved, HE MEANS BUSINESS.

Up the stairs he marched and I heard them both crying, trying to defend their side of the story. Finally I heard, "That's it. Both of you. Bend over the table. It's spankings and back to cleaning without another word!"....I heard Colton crying, took his punishment, and back to work he went. Em was nearly hyperventilating (she's a bit dramatic) and was fighting her turn. Next thing I know, I hear him say, "Excuse me? That is UNACCEPTABLE."....and she's crying more.

Jason comes downstairs with a sly grin on his face, and the following conversation takes place:

"Do you know what just happened?"

"Ya, they were being turds, you gave them spankings, and we're moving on"...

"Ugh, not quite. I spanked her butt, and as I turned around, she stood up, whirled around and spanked me. Ugh, not how that works, sis!"...

I was dying. Apparently, Miss Emmalyn didn't get the memo that you don't spank your Dad back, after he's finished punishing you.

Fast forward 5 minutes....to hearing her screaming/sobbing from upstairs. He goes back up to figure out what's going on (she was being further punished by having to lay down and think about what she'd just done) and he comes BACK downstairs, and reports:

"Get this. So those screams.....she was mad because Keaton was in there where she was throwing her dramatic fit, and making funny faces and sticking his tongue out at her! Apparently, she didn't like that!"...

"Well, you KNOW he gets that from you. You're the one always making funny faces at them when they cry, to try to cheer them up. LITTLE EYES ARE ALWAYS WATCHING YOU!"

"Ya, ya...I know..."

So  sweet, precious Emmalyn. Take it from the girl who also might have learned a lesson the hard way...(I may or may not have made your Grandpa chase me around the "circle" of our home when I was a little girl who was in need of a paddling)...just get it over with. Odds are when or what you get the first time, is far better than the alternative option.

Speaking of take it from me....I had to smile when this came home in your Friday folder this week. You may or may not, be a lot like your Momma was...



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