Monday, November 23, 2009

My "Three Hours of Peace"

If I had more energy I might be able to make this post hilarious. Instead it will most likely be just factual. But you never know.

Yesterday Bart had a three hour meeting giving me what I envisioned to be three great hours where I could just enjoy something relaxing. I had planned to use it to sort through digital photos on my computer, organize them some, and free up some hard drive space. Five of the kids had been at a lock in the night before and thus I figured they would sleep all afternoon. Of course the cooperative ones did. But Tony didn't think he needed to sleep, more than likely because he had snored through church in the back row where I couldn't reach to wake him as I was busy poking Sadie up front.

I can easily divide my 3 hours of piece into three neat segments:

Segment One: Tony Begging. The first hour was Tony begging for me to take him to buy a game for his X-Box. He said his Dad had given him money (which was true, I confirmed it with Bart later) and he wanted to get a game. Since he had thoroughly done his dishes, something that has never happened, I figured he was due for a reward. I was just not wanting it to be during my "Three Hours of Peace" I finally realized after the first hour, that if I were to just take Tony that maybe we could get back and I could have 90 minutes of peace.

Segment Two A: Taking everyone everywhere. John needed a ride to a friends and since I was going to be in the van anyway, why not? Except that the friend lived five miles in the opposite direction. So it took almost a full hour to get everyone where they needed to go. And Jimmy and Tony came back in from the game store reporting that they had not found anything cheap enough to buy. Something was fishy when they didn't push me very hard to go to another store, but I just let it go. Upon our arrival at home, Tony was being very rude to me. As I'm walking to the house, I turned to tell him that I was regretting my decision to take him if he was going to be that rude.

Segment Two B: All H*** Breaks Lose. As I was turning, I slipped, and fell on the concrete. My ankle turned and I landed on the other knee and both elbows. My phone, which had been in my hand, went flying and Tony immediately grabbed it, insisting he was going to call Bart and interrupt his meeting. I was not dead, nor was I going to die, and it really wasn't an emergency. So I was trying to persuade him to give me the phone. He was screaming curse words at the top of his lungs for the ears of the neighbors, and I was trying to get him to stop, though it was a bit difficult as I was managing my own pain and trying to figure out how I was going to get my low-thyroid, overweight, out-of-shape, exhausted big self off the ground.

Dominyk came rushing out to see my lying there and quickly went in to tell the others in the house what he had assumed happened -- that Tony had pushed him down. This incensed Tony who took after Dominyk, injuring him slightly, so Dominyk came out to cry to me because apparently crying to ones ownself (as they would say in the south, right Cindy) isn't nearly as satisfying. So Tony, not able to stay in the house any longer because he has already made Dominyk cry, comes back outside to yell at me some more. So I'm lying on the ground with both of them yelling above me, crying and screaming and arguing and blaming. At that moment, Jimmy walks out to tell me that Tony HAD indeed purchased a game -- but that it was a $20 game because he had stolen money from us. They start to argue very loudly about the whole situation. Finally I pulled myself off the ground and hobbled into the house.

Segment Three: Listening to Tony and then listening to Dominyk. The next twenty minutes were spent with Tony at the top of his voice (his remote is broke and his voice is stuck on the highest volume) telling me what his consequences should be for stealing the money and how Jimmy should have equal consequences because he had gone along and lied too. All I wanted was for Tony to go away and let me nurse my wounds and my pride (as if I have any left) but that was not going to happen.

I finally got him to leave when Dominyk came in, completely agitated from all of the events and started to chant about what time it was and what time it was time to leave for youth group. That lasted for a full 50 minutes until it was time to leave when he headed out to get in the front seat and Sadie, seeing that was his goal, slipped by him and got the front which sent him into a complete meltdown where he was trying to break everything in sight. Fortunately Bart came home to end my 3 hours of peace at that time and took him for a drive to calm him down.

My ankle is swollen, my knee is bruised, my elbows hurt, and I was seriously planning on going to the Y this morning, but that provided me with reasons or excuses not to go.

Next time I plan on peace, I'm going to remember today.

8 comments:

Kari said...

Next time just plan on 3 hours of chaos and agony and maybe you'll be pleasantly surprised. Ugh. I'm sorry you got hurt. ~Kari

Marge said...

Oh my. Good thing Bart's meeting wasn't longer......more peace you don't need! I hope your aches and pains heal quickly.

Wishing you and your family a blessed Thanksgiving.

r. said...

Sigh . . .

You know, I know it hurts your feelings that Salinda prefers to live at her boyfriend's house, but if she's as much of an introvert as you say, I could see how all that commotion could be really stressful for her. Sometimes when you describe these scenes, I start feeling overstimulated and out of sorts.

Eek . . . just had an idea-- maybe you could soundproof the baby's room just in case she does end up moving back in. You know, so the little one can sleep . . .

Lots of hugs (but personally wanting to hide under a weighted blanket when I imagine scenes like those)

-Rebecca

nancy said...

I'm very sorry you got hurt. And I'm just as sorry your peace did not arrive in the allotted time. But you DO tell one heck of a story! I hope Part Four somehow involves only you and some soft pillows, leg elevated, kids all at school or somewhere safe, and Bart tending to you tenderly. I can dream a dream for you, can't I?

And why does google give me words to verify like "deckp", because if you read it as a word, it doesn't sound like something I'd like on MY porch!

Nancy down south (of you, anyway)

nancy said...

I'm very sorry for your injuries, pain to your pride in your own front yard. And I'm sorry that peace did not descend upon your household during the allotted three hours. But you do know how to tell one heck of a story!

I hope Part Four of your story involves children off in directions they should be, you with your leg elevated on a soft pillow, and Bart tenderly attending to your needs. And I think your laptop and electronic devices nearby would make you happy, too. I can dream for you, can't I?


And why does google give me words like "deckp" to verify? That's not something I'd like to find on MY porch. But then, you did't intend to find yourself on your own porch, looking up at people who should have been giving YOU the attention, rather than their arguments.

I suppose google just flat out runs out of words, so now I'm typing "nogra" and wondering how to pronounce it and what it is? I'd hate to play online google scrabble!

Nancy down south (of YOU, anyway)

Claudia said...

It doesn't hurt my feelings that Salinda prefers to live there. I probably would too. What bothers me is that she doesn't have the emotional strength to handle these episodes and that she thinks they define our family, neglecting to remember all the good times we have. These kinds of hours are only once and a while, not all the time.

The thing is, she has even more intense awful arguments there sometimes, that are even more dramatic and include more issues.... That house has more drama than we do sometimes.

Even in those three hours there was only about a five minutes period where things were really chaotic and loud. The rest of our weekend was really pretty calm.

I think it is that she defines our family by the intense blips that occur instead of by all the rest, which really can be very good.

Claudia said...

and Nancy, Part Four involves a very full day of meetings, a court hearing, and a presentation tonight.

But thanks for dreaming for me.

FosterAbba said...

Ouch