I may come unglued! Last night I had a mini-meltdown or as big of a melt-down as one can have when one’s mouth only opens an inch! I confess, I don’t get the kids. I just don’t get them. They seem to think Mother Earth revolves around them. Last night, Stan fixed the kids’ dinner while I sat on my numb back side and tried to not take prescription pain meds. (My jaw is very tender and my face feels like I have a massive sinus infection with a case of the mumps. But I want to stay away from the prescription meds.) The kids all ate and Stan left to take Lucas to hockey practice. This is where I fail to understand my kids.

I came into the kitchen to check things out. The kitchen was TRASHED! One thing I hate is a messy kitchen. To me a happiness is a clean kitchen, clean sink, clean floors, clean counters. The kids KNOW this. They also know exactly what their chores are after dinner. One kid has dishwasher duties. One kid has the responsibility of putting the leftovers away. One kid has to clear the table. And the fouth kid has to wipe down the counters and table and then swiffer the kitchen floor. Stan and I prepare dinner and they clean up. Seems pretty straightforward to me. The jobs change every week so no one feels like they have the “hardest” job — forever! The kitchen scene I came into was unbelievable. The food was still out. The pots, pans, cutting board are all over the counters and not clean. The floors and counters have food and crumbs all over. I roll up my sleeves, start cleaning and growling all at the same time! ARRRRGGGGHHHH!!! If only I could open my mouth and yell! This is not how I wanted the evening to go.

I told the kids before my surgery that they were going to need to step up and make sure things got done so I didn’t have to ride them all week. I guess they thought it meant I was giving them a “get out of work” pass not to do their chores! Nothing was done. Do you know how hard it is to yell when your mouth only opens ONE inch? Well, something must have clicked because I came into a kitchen that was nearly spotless! Thank Heavens! The little stinkers did a great job! But why do I have to growl (which is my jaw’s translation of a yell) to get a point across? That baffles me. (I hated being yelled at when I was a kid. I would do anything to avoid being yelled at. My nose was dark brown.) At least they stepped up after I yelled. But why did it have to come to yelling? Why couldn’t they just do the work they knew they were supposed to do?

After the kitchen it was off to study 175 vocabulary words with Zach for his English mid-term. A one inch opening in my mouth gets awfully tired, awfully quickly. Thank Heavens for Jan. He cleaned his room and it is spotless! Oh, for the love of….my children!