It's Tough Being the Parent

I picked the kids up from school (managed to get them all this time) and G was a little whiney. She actually dozed off during the ride home. I left her in the car to nap while I went inside to clean and E headed straight for the toy box. It wasn't but a few minutes later I heard G in the house, whining. She stopped and I heard E playing and then I heard G screech and start to cry.

She came stomping up the stairs, sobbing. I thought she was upset I'd left her in the car so I asked her if she was crying because she'd gotten scared or something and she said no. She was upset because she asked E to stop playing with this noisy toy and E wouldn't stop playing with the toy. I was annoyed. This is not something to cry about, kwim? I fussed at her a little bit and told her to go in the other room and get the duster out of the cleaning box and to go dust. I thought if I kept her busy she couldn't fight with E.

G headed to the other room to get the duster and then came back in where I was to ask where I wanted her to dust and E was following behind her with the noisy toy and the orneriest looking face I have ever seen. I could tell she'd been following G around with this obnoxious thing and enjoying every minute of it.

It was one of those moments where I had to chant in my head, "Don't laugh. Don't laugh. Don't laugh."