Not alone

Misery loves company. It is comforting to know we are not the only family that is dealing with amazingly exhausting bad kid behavior this summer. I really don't wish for families to have to deal with the tears and the whining and the sibling fights and the crying and the yelling and the hitting and the not sharing and the not listening and the begging for candy for breakfast, but it is a bit of a relief to know that all this bad behavior may not be directly tied to my poor parenting skills. I've talked to several moms who are all getting to experience similar anarchy on the homefront.

What is it? Is it a stage? Anticipation and of kindergarten and preschool? Summer blahs? I can't see how it can be that because we have filled our summer up with some pretty fun stuff, and I don't think we're over-doing it either. Is it the heat and humidity? It has been excessively hot the last week. All I know is that I keep hearing that Bill Cosby line in my head: The beatings will now begin!

(Time-out for bike boxing in the garage with Mr. B and Peggy.)


OH FOR THE LOVE OF GOD! Is this a joke? Peggy has found a rotten -- and by rotten I mean ROTTEN!!! -- bird egg in the grass south of the garage that she has carefully and enthusiastically smeared on her cheeks, neck and ears. It's 9 p.m. and I'll now be bathing a pooch.

Adios.