The kids fight a lot. And I mean A LOT.
Loo hates Link, Moach swings on The Wheeze – and then they switch it all up. Their nerves, apparently, fray a lot easier than I thought they did. Beth reminds me that I wasn’t around as much when we were in Asheville – and that I’m just now party to the day-to-day goings on in the family. She’s right – I was absent a lot, and I missed a lot of the fights. In some ways, that was good – but I now see that while I missed the fights (most of them, anyway,) I really missed out on a lot of life. My kids’ lives.
And, it’s been good. I still lose my temper. I still roll my eyes at the dumb fights (“Really, Wheeze? Moach has cuter toys than you – and THAT’S worth screaming and fighting over?”) I’m far, far, far from perfect – and I have a long, long, long way to go – but I do find that I can allow more stuff to just roll off me. Because, frankly, if I got bent over every squabble or cross word from the kids, we’d constantly be screaming and fighting.
Yes, we still scream and fight – but being in tight quarters, being together all the time makes it more and more important to get along and let some things not make me nuts. Those little veins in my forehead still bulge. I’m still puzzled (and amused) by the absurd fights, but I’m starting to learn to pick MY battles. My fuse is still too short but it’s getting longer by the day.
In between the fights, though – I’ve watched the kids have moments of getting it.