I'm going to certifably insane by the end of the summer.
The madness in this house has already begun, and it's not even June yet.
It's my boys. A prime example of sibling rivalry at it's finest. One always has to be better than the other. One always has to be 'top dog', and if it means physically beating the other into submission then so be it.
Every evening for the past week they've got into a fist fight. Every evening I've separated them and admonished them for their violence. Instead of diminishing, the animosity has been escalating.
I spoke to Lonesome about it yesterday. I said I didn't know if I could do this all summer. He said that they were boys, and that that's what boys did - fight. Especially brothers. He said to let them knock the crap out of each other, to not step in. Alright, I thought, I'll let them have at it.
Tonight it came to a head. Davey and Jake were going to play "poker" (not real poker, something Davey created so he can make up the rules as he goes along and beat the pants off Jake - sibling rivalry again). They got into an argument over the poker chips. Pushing and shoving ensued, and before I knew it, a full-on brawl was taking place in my living room. Davey had Jake in a head lock, Jake broke free and caught Davey with a left hook, knocking his glasses off, cutting his eye and bruising his face. The glasses flew across the room, mangled and missing a lens. Both boys started screaming that they were hurt, Davey holding his bloodied face and Jake holding his skinned and reddened knuckles. I stood there and laughed. I couldn't help it. I tried not to let them see, I attempted to cover up my giggles with feigned anger and irritation...and I think it worked. I was just so......so......I don't know how to describe it, other than to say that when you're at the end of your tether your emotions get all mixed up and inappropriate.
So, a trip to the optical shop and some ice and band-aids later, we're all speaking to each other again.
Until tomorrow. I can guarantee that it will happen again tomorrow. Perhaps not to this degree, but it will happen.
I'm going to be certifiably insane by the end of the summer.