Anticipating Half Term

Half term looms ahead of me. It feels as though I am about to enter a dark torture chamber where I will be unexpectedly ambushed. I know some people love having their children at home for a week, but I find it very hard. The fighting, arguing, destruction and noise are quite unbearable sometimes, well actually alot of times!

Take yesterday afternoon for example. Max asks if he can make a book. This, of course, means that he will not be sitting in front of a screen for a small amount of time which in turn leads to me feeling like a very good mother. The smug feeling does not last long however. As soon as Max has all his pens, paper and other bits and bobs out, Jonah decides he wants to do 'drawing' too. Instead of sitting quietly on a chair and waiting for Max or me to pass things to him, he climbs onto the table, throws the paper all over the floor and then picks up one pen after another and either throws them on the floor or draws on something that is not paper. Max gets cross and frustrated, understandably, and I spend most of the time preventing a major 'drawing on something that shouldn't be drawn on 'incident. Eventually I decide that enough is enough and attempt to make him sit in a chair. This is, clearly, far too difficult for a 2 year old who wants his own way and so he throws the chair across the room ( the strength that a tantrum can induce is quite astonishing) and collapses on the floor, stiff bodied and screaming. All this, just because Max wanted to get the pens and paper out.

It left me feeling more than apprehensive about the week ahead. Every time the boys want to do something constructive (which, lets be honest, isn't all that often!) Jonah destroys it and makes it a stressful time instead. Even when they are just watching the TV, he turns it off and pulls out the plugs for the Wii. To gain their attention he throws things at them, hits them, pushes them and bites them and so they retaliate.

I know that this is a phase, and will not last, but I can't help but feel that the boys are missing out on doing things with us because Jonah gets in the way and messes it up. They are very forgiving and a few minutes later they are kissing and hugging him, but it feels sad to me that we can't do some of the things their friends do because we have a small terrorist in tow.

So, I await the arrival of half term. If there is time between the shouting, fighting and my attempts to control 3 small boys, I will update you with my progress.