Mid Summer Smackdown

OK. It is mid summer and as of today, I am not going to make it until school starts again. I have two kids that are going to make me lose it! Zachery and Logan get along well. Logan and Lily get along well. But Zachery and Lily are pestering each other to death!!! They look so cute an innocent, but as soon as I turn around it starts up again.

"He did this, she did that, he started it, she started it, I didn't do it, I didn't do anything"...etc, etc, etc.

I know that siblings are supposed to fight. I know that home is where they learn to work out problems with others. Home is where they develop their communication skills. But come on! Give me a break! Right now they are not learning anything!

I feel like a failure as a parent right now because I'm really not sure how to stop the madness. How do I teach them to treat each other with love and respect? It is fine if they fight some, but at some point they also need to practice kindness to each other. What do I need to do? Does anyone have any suggestions? Please I am begging for your comments. I'll try anything that might be helpful - even if that means giving them some gloves and having a mid summer smackdown!

Free Country?

The kids were driving me c-r-a-z-y today! They have been irritating each other relentlessly all day! So about 5pm I had them all come down and sit in different parts of the living room while I prepared dinner. Here was the conversation:

Z: Mom, I have something to tell you about what happened with Logan.
D: Blah-blah-blah-blah...
Z: Mom, come on. It's important.
D: Do you want ketchup?
Z: Mom, I thought this was a free country. Don't I have the right of free speech???
D: Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha...(I'm laughing so hard I can't breathe!!!) Oh, Zachery. Haven't we told you. You do NOT live in a democratic household. You live in a dictatorship! You have no rights in this house except those your father and I give you. And right now I don't want to listen to anymore fussing or fighting or explanations.
Z: Man, that's not fair!
D: Nope. But when you grow up, you too can be the dictator of your own home. :)

Happy Birthday Zachery!

Zachery turned 11 today. I'm not really sure how it happened though - since he was just born yesterday!!! He has been very excited about his big day and has had trouble talking about anything else for days. I'm pretty sure he had a great day! Now, I may have a headache tomorrow though. He got an electric guitar and amp. A really loud new toy. But his smile was priceless. Happy Birthday baby boy!

(I will have to post some other pictures later. This was the youngest picture (7 yrs) we have of him on the computer.)