I am not a believer in time-outs. I find spankings (horrible me!) and removing a favorite item from the child’s possession the two most effective ways of dealing with issues. I don’t spank often, for those of you who are now shocked and disgusted with me, but I do spank.

The one exception to time-outs? ME! I was trying to get the kids to help me clean the basement this morning. We have some huge boxes left over from our table and chair purchase, so I told them they could have them to play with when we finished cleaning the basement. And by cleaning I meant I wanted to clean out underneath both couches and the beds. It wasn’t a lot of stuff, as Greg has taken most of their toys and locked them in a storage room (any suggestions on how to get a husband to understand that even though toys are annoying, they are helpful in occupying little people at times?). But I’m exhausted! It was a bit over an hour of CONSTANT reminders to pick up and clean. I was tired of hearing myself by the end of it. Within the first five minutes I was yelling and mad. So I took a time-out. Got myself together, and then proceeded. We did much better from there on out. I had to determine to stay calm and to MAKE them clean even if what should have been a twenty-minute job turned into a seventy-five minute job. But I am definitely exhausted now!

Happily, we are looking forward to another spring snowstorm. I suppose that would seem almost sick to those who don’t benefit from snow days. And I’m sure that as a homeschooling family one would wonder why it does benefit us. In short: snow days mean we have Daddy home with us. So though I am anxious for the post-winter moisture in the ground to dry up, and to start seeing things turn green and warm, I am relishing the fact that if the weather goes as predicted, my sweetie will be home with us tomorrow. It’ll melt fast, so it’s worth it.