Realistic Expectations

I try to be a reasonable mother.  I know that boys are more physically oriented than girls and allow for wrestling, jumping, playful punching, etc.  I try to make sure they have an outlet for that.

We are sort of weird at our house because up to this point I have outlawed gaming systems from our house.  I know how my son likes to play at friends' houses and I have a hard enough time limiting computer & TV time.  It's plain healthier to play outside and be creative and this week when they have a hard time going to sleep at 9:30pm and are up and going strong at 6:30am that says to me that they need to be playing harder so today was dubbed a non-electronic day.  No doubt this is the less traveled parenting road and it makes my life crazy; I'm hopeful that someday my sons will be better men for it.

But then I have days like this -- when we invite a friend over and I think Jacob & Drew will happily stay entertained and allow me to work on holiday preparations (didn't happen) and I think it would sure be nice to keep them involved in non-destructive behaviors, like

spitting and kicking wars in the car:  GROSS!!!  Probably instigated by the friend that was riding with us today, but of course my son was in the thick of it, and we weren't even in the car for 15 minutes.  I just want my van to stay in tact before I have to sell it in a couple of months.  I have to say KUDOS to my son that normally is a bit off the wall but sat so peacefully and stayed out of it.

using rebar to hit bouncy balls around in neighbor A's driveway, in socks:  rebar?!?!?  because your bat isn't good enough to poke someone's eye out or take off a toe?  and do we have to do that in the neighbor's yard?  and no shoes right after I asked you all to put them on because it is COLD outside and your socks are covered in dirt and crumpled leaves that I don't want inside my house?

playing in neighbor B's yard, 2 minutes after I specifically told them to stay in our yard: once the shoes were on and they were back outside, it was time to terrorize yet another neighbor's yard -- have I mentioned that these are all empty-nesters yards?

terrorizing sisters in their bedroom and refusing to leave:  I don't know what else to say except some furniture got moved and even with me involved I barely got them out of there

group potty time:  someone around here thinks when he has to go, all friends should come along.  I broke that up when the extras were dancing around in the bathtub

I guess I'm just grateful that this is not my everyday life and hallelujah for public schools because my house is still standing and my boys are still alive because of it.  Whose idea was it to be out of school for a full week before Christmas???