Driving. Me. Crazy.

This afternoon we went to the park with some friends. We did a lot of other things this week as well, which I'm sure I'll attempt to catch up on. Somehow having all four kids at home all day long is keeping me busier than usual. You'd think, since the girls are older, that they wouldn't make as much mess...but somehow...I dunno. Our house is a disaster.

There's a fort in my living room, a train set is crawling over the kids' bedroom floor, and their closet is full of LEGO creations they don't have the heart to part with (which means the contents of their closet is elsewhere).

Anyway, every time we've gone anywhere in the van this week, the kids have fought nonstop.

Today before we left we even had a chat about it. Like, if there was any fighting, we weren't going to even go because it just stresses me out too much. Benjamin, you see, has discovered that when he hums it drives his sisters up the wall. And then they start growling and snarling, "Stop it, Benjamin! You're giving me a headache, Benjamin! I asked you to stop, Benjamin!" And they'll flop around in their seats and flail their arms and kick their legs and moan and groan and...

I can't even.

So then I'm like, "Everybody stop!"

And, ugh.

It happens in the house, too.

Like, it's happening right now.

(For the love, children, make it stop!)


Anyway, before we left today I told the girls that if he hums they are to just ignore it because it's far easier for me to listen to him hum than it is to listen to them complain about it. It worked for the way there, but no so well on the way back. What threat do I even have for going home?

"If you don't stop right now I will turn this car around and...go back to the park" is somehow much less intimidating than "I will turn this car around and we will go straight back home."

So, Rachel was pitching a bit of a fit and I told her to zip it. Because I'm trying to drive. And driving's not my favourite. So enough already.

She did fairly well until she couldn't help herself and she harrumphed, "Benny, are you trying to sound good?"

"I do sound good," he answered confidently.

That made everyone laugh. Because, really, honestly, his humming isn't that annoying (at least not compared to the fussing that it encourages (and usually if no one is trying to get him to stop he forgets why humming is fun in the first place)).

Anyway, while at the park Miriam asked what would happen if we had to move in the middle of the school day (assuming we're still here when school starts in July and we start sending the kids to school? I dunno...). Would we check her out from school early, or...?

"I think we'd just leave you behind and move without you," I said.

"Sure," my friend Marian said. "You can come live at our house."

"Really?" Miriam asked. "All of us?"

"Sure, you're good kids! I could use a few extra kids."

"Even Benjamin?" Miriam asked, insinuating that naturally Marian would want Miriam and Rachel.

He's not a bad kid. But I think spring break has taken its toll. We've had a lot of together time and I think we're all looking forward to school starting again on Monday.