Behind Closed Doors

(I usually like to put a picture with my blog posts which corresponds to the subject matter but couldn't find one that was perfect for this particular post so instead please enjoy this lovely photo of a broom. For your, you know, viewing pleasure and stuff.)

The boys are being quiet right now, which is why I'm here. But they've closed themselves into their room, which could indicate one of two things: that Colin is trying to confine Cameron into one spot so he'll stick around, or that they're conspiring to do something naughty behind that closed door. I'm voting on the latter, which is why I'm almost afraid to go look.

It's a catch-22, really (which is defined as "a difficult situation from which there is no escape because it involves mutually conflicting or dependent conditions" ... I know this because I totally just had to look that up to make sure it was right even though it's a phrase I use all the time). They are in their room, which means they're safe and contained. And it means I get some quiet time. However, they could be in there absolutely trashing the joint, which makes the whole scenario a lot less appealing.

Because that means I'd have to either clean it up myself (5 minutes) or hover around barking orders like an overlord until the boys finish the job (30+ minutes). Trying to get a 21-month-old to pick up toys is like trying to keep gloves on an octopus. Cameron picks up one toy, takes his sweet time moseying over to the toybox, puts it in, and then promptly takes something else out because it catches his eye. And then Colin gets mad because "Mom-myyyy, Cameron's not helpiiiiiing!" and either boycotts picking it all up himself or pokes/smacks/pushes his brother, and we have to deal with that. Which is why I'd rather just do it myself, but then it doesn't teach them anything about responsibility and whatnot (I've been down that road before). Which is why I find myself in yet another conundrum: easy on me, or lesson for them?

So what we have here is a difficult situation. They're still in there. I could a.) go peek at them, realize to my relief that they're playing quietly, and come back to my blog (though I risk interrupting them, in which case they'll start to bother me instead of playing); b.) go peek at them, see that every item they own is strewn across their floor, and become irritated; or c.) ignore them for a little while longer because ignorance is bliss. Why does parenthood present me with such challenges?

Okay ... I'm going to check on them right now. In real time. Live.



***************************************

... Aaaaaand I'm back. They were playing quietly; unfortunately, they had dumped the contents of their drawers onto the floor because they were playing "clothes store."

Ironic, really, since Colin wasn't wearing pants.

Oh well. Guess it could have been worse. And at least I got a blog post out of it.
And you got to see a sweet picture of a broom. Lucky!

Comments

  1. Maybe he was about to TRY on pants in the dressing room..... :)

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  2. heehee. I am very familiar with that conundrum! Sound is usually the tiebreaker for me. If its too quiet, you KNOW evil is brewing. . .

    And the broom is sexy. Totally.

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  3. At least they were playing quietly this time :)

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  4. Jules - I would like to think that was the case - but seeing as he's without pants 90% of the time, I can't imagine he was enticed to try any on. Even at his own "store."

    Me - Ain't it the truth?!? I would almost rather hear crying than silence.
    ... I said ALMOST.

    Charisse - Yes! At least Colin wasn't pooping in his kitchen set or anything. :)

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  5. LOL I have so been there. I usually go for the ignoarance is bliss and then spen 2 hours muttering and putting a trashed room back together!

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  6. I like the blue and green broom. Very nice.

    My house always seems to be messy. I try to clean and then bam, messy again.

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  7. I am going to think of the octopus when my blood pressure is climbing into my throat. I needed to read this...I thought I felt a chin hair growing while the kids were "getting" (wait, wait, wait) out of the van today! (seriously, when I go somewhere by myself...I just don't know what do do when I can you know, just GO)! Cool blog.

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  8. I usually attempt the "ignorance is bliss" tactic until my curiousity gets the best of me. Then I make a stealthy trip down the hall and hope I don't get caught checking on them.

    As for whether to make them pick up or not, I'd enlist their help when the mood is good and you can have fun doing it, but do it yourself when you're already mad and need to get rid of that adrenaline rush! ;o)

    Nice broom, by the way! Made me think the blog was going to be about something "witchy!" LOL

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  9. Whenever it's quiet around the house, I enjoy it but I know I'm going to pay for it later, usually in a huge mess to clean. But usually the mess I'm cleaning up is from some really cool, creative game the kids made up and I'm ultimately happy that they did it...even if their contribution to cleaning is minimal and they leave it to me. If I didn't want to be doing this, I shouldn't have had kids, right?

    Awesome use of graphics, by the way. :-)

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  10. The sad thing is that I only had one and I still had to do a sneak-check when he was quiet because he liked to take things apart - or "poof" an entire container [or two] of baby powder into his room - or fill the entire bathroom full of bubbles because I'd left the container down where he could reach in while he was taking a bath. Quiet was semi-good but quiet and giggling ALWAYS meant the need for a stealth visit! Good thing I liked the kid, heh heh!

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  11. it is always better to make them do it, make them clean it up - and when I say "better" - I mean in the long run, like 20 years later when they are married and living with you and pregnant and leaving their dirty dishes in the livingroom for you to clean up after working a full day and coming home to make dinner and..... oh, wait, that is me.....

    yes, it is better to make them do, it will make them better adults, but damn, it is so much easier to do it yourself.... let them become better adults on their own.... after all, Morgan's apartment now is always much cleaner than she ever left my house!

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  12. Quiet can sometimes be very dangerous in the world of kids!

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