I admit it....I lost my temper

Since doing so much canning over the last few days, I decided to kinda relax a bit.  Just take it easy.  It's amazing how children will do the same as the parent, no matter what.  The only difference is that my version of relaxing included cleaning out my closet and sitting to eat. :)  Their version is creating games that involve running crazy through my house and wrestling.

We only had an hour before we had to leave for piano lessons.  60 minutes.  I sent the kids outside to run back and forth across the yard 10 times to work out some of their energy.  Why is it that children are drawn to making messes?

They stayed outside.  I was fine with that.  About 15 minutes before we were supposed to leave, Joey comes to my bedroom to humbly announce that the water to the hose won't turn off.  I go outside to find my backyard flooded.  It had rained all day yesterday so there wasn't a lot of "give" in the ground to soak up my children's choice of fun.

The one funny part is that they had obviously tried to fix the problem.  Nearly every usable bucket from the backyard was filled up with water.  That makes me laugh.  That's about the only thing.  They decided to put the hose down in the drainpipe tube that attaches to the downspout and runs out into the yard.  I appreciate that thought as well.  Only, the combo of yesterday's rain AND today's "experiment", there is now a giant pond in the middle of the backyard.  Let's just hope it doesn't turn into a skating rink anytime soon.

At this point, I lost my temper.  I don't think I used but two swear words but there was a whole lotta yelling.  They all got banished to their bedrooms with the promise that they will be paying for this month's water bill.  Robbie started crying.  I had no sympathy.  Now, I'm in the mucky, muddy backyard (sounds like a Dora the Explorer destination), with my nice clothes on ( I was going out in public) trying to turn off the spigot or put on a nozzle to contain the water.  NO LUCK!  The kids have broken all of my nozzles and the spigot is just not working....period.

I call Sam crying and yelling.  He told me to have the boys run the hose out as far into the yard as possible so it doesn't seep back into the house.  They do that.  I call Melanie to tell her that piano lessons aren't going to happen.  But, I just cried hysterically.  She was calm and patient and assured me it would be fine and we'd make up the lesson.  

Sam called back to say he'd come home from Philly to fix it all.  I told him I'd just run to the Home Depot and buy a nozzle.  So, I left the kids at home in a fixed position.  Thankfully, the Home Depot is less than a few blocks from our house.  I waddled my way in there and found the slowest worker to lead me to the meager home and garden area left for the winter.  We found a nozzle and then both of us waddled to the plumbing department where I received a lesson in spigots.  I left with just the nozzle.  Sam will have to figure out the spigot size.

I come back home, roll up my pants and head out to the backyard.  Meanwhile, Robbie had turned off the water from inside the house.  Not a bad idea, but I was still made at him.  Though I will applaud him in my blog for his self-reliant thinking.  Go Robbie!

I attached the nozzle but left it hose extended to the nethermost regions of the the yard just in case I did something wrong.

So, the kids are now in the bedrooms until their dad comes home.  It's only 1pm.  They'll be in there for at least another 5 hours.  I don't have a problem with it.  Joey asked if they'd be allowed to eat.  I told him he could have the last quarter of the PB&J sandwich he refused to eat for breakfast and is still sitting on the table.  He didn't like that idea.  I don't care.

For the record, there has been no "laying on of hands" during this event.  

Now, I'm off to enjoy my 5 hours until the father returns.