"Let's Get Ready To Rumble"

  What do you do when you realize that John Cena and The Rock, wrestlers, have come home with you from school.  Personally I would set up a ring and let them beat the snot out of each other in hopes that there would never be a rematch.  Unfortunately, we have two other kids that are still the same people we met in the morning and I don't want them thinking this is okay.  So I must change my tactics and find a better resolution.


  How about a ring with both wearing big helmets and boxing gloves or maybe those big Sumo wrestling outfits, and than let them go at it.  I could see my daughter wanting in on this and ultimately all four of them, which I think would be great to video and use as a wordless blog for another day, stay tuned, you never know.  My wife on the other hand believes that there is a better way to handle it and maybe they just need a new referee.  Huh, who is she kidding, I have approached this from all angles and currently I feel like the ref in the WWE that gets his butt kick by the wrestlers.  Either that or I feel guilty for taking away one of their favorite things.   Tonight I spoke to all kids about best behaviour, listening, chores, and blah, blah, blah.  At least I think that's what they heard.  Best behaviour with four under 7 is;

no fighting (yeah right), no hitting (good luck), no screaming (there's four, who am I kidding), no biting (still happens with daughter), listen when spoken to (not just looking at person speaking) and if we are really lucky, manners used at all times (no exceptions).  We get a pretty good outcome from the last one, still working on the rest.

  Someone told me that they are just kids and kids do crazy things, that's how they learn.  Clearly these people don't have four kids that are doing all of these things at the same time.  Now don't get me wrong, I love my kids to pieces and I am as much the problem as the solution.  For example, throwing my sons cereal in the sink from 10' away, milk and all, because he complained that he wanted to pour the milk and started crying.  Probably not my best moment as a dad, after all I had to clean it up and he still ended up with cereal.  I can just see him at school, "my dad is not the brightest, he threw my cereal and made a mess, but still gave me a new bowl and had to clean up the mess.  I am going to try this with dinner tonight and video it".  Or the time I put one of the kids in the shower clothes and all.  After all the tears, my son asked if he could wear the same shirt the next day now that it was clean.  I am still learning what works with them, but more importantly I am still learning what works for me.  Maybe I should put the Sumo suit on and let them beat on me for a bit, except that they would poke a hole in the suit so that I felt the pain.  Oh well, the beat goes on and tomorrow is a new day, and no it's not "the first day of the rest of my life", but it might be my last if they ever learn to gang up on me.

  Dad's can do it too, it just may take us more time to figure out what works best, but that is what makes everyday exciting.