Exhausted

I think this has been the hardest week I've had with my kids in a LONG time.  I am emotionally exhausted.  I have been waking up on the "here we go again" side of the bed...and I haven't been there in awhile.   

Their behavior has been completely out of control. 

Not sure if it is the fact that there are three 3 year olds (and that nutty 6 year old), that we're still adjusting to daylight savings time, the fact that it is dark at 5 pm again, that they are all fighting nasty colds, that there is a big brother flexing his "big brother" attitude....but DEAR MERCY. 

For example, I woke up the other morning (my one "sleep in" morning, at 6:45) to N screaming about something in my ear, then him flat out disobeying me when I asked him to leave or do something, followed by me spanking him twice.  Oh, good morning, mama. 

I have asked the boys to do something (please take this back to your room) only to be answered "NO, poo-poo!" I would like to say that this has happened only once, or only by one child. 

They are tattling and whining (he toooook that from meeeeeee; he hiiiiiiiittttt meeeeeee; z is scaaaaaaring meeeeee; i don't waannnnnna do thaaaaaat; i want thaaaaaaat toooooyyyyy; he's sitting in myyyyyy chaaaaaair). 

They are physically fighting with each other.  Hitting, shoving, biting, pushing, wrestling.  And not just in fun, but actually FIGHTING.  I literally had to pull L and N off of each other and haul them upstairs, one under each arm (screaming and flailing), and toss one on the red couch and the other on his bed.  (Try that for a workout!)  Of course there is the "fun" fighting too...
   
The boys are being downright belligerant...NO.  To EVERYTHING.  And when they finally agree, it is on THEIR terms, on THEIR time. 

I repeat myself OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER. (the first thing you should do when you get in the car is buckle in.  buckle in.  buckle in.  buckle in.  BUCKLE IN!!! You have been out here for FIVE MINUTES while I finished up in the house and you're STILL NOT BUCKLED IN.)

One has taken to crying when he doesn't get his way.  And believe me, with 4 boys in the house, that happens a lot. 

Potty talk is OUT OF CONTROL.  I just don't know how to reign it in.  We typically do soap in the mouth to "clean out your mouth since you are using dirty words" (judge if you must) but it is so rampant I am not consistent. 

I am feeling like I am throwing out lots of empty threats and I HATE that. 

I don't know what is "acceptable" brother behavior.  What kind of stuff do I just turn a blind eye to because that is life with four boys? 

If I'm not in the room I have no clue what happens.  So N might come crying that Z hit him, but N might have instigated, in which case he deserved it.  But then the other day Z just snatched his stuffed animals (that he doesn't care one whit about) out of L's hands while L was happily playing with them.  JUST to be a mean. 

The worst was when Z was glaringly disrespectful to my dad and didn't even obey HIM.  (Let me tell you how I felt about that.....ARGH, child!)

The boys have been mean to each other, and have been slamming one or another out of playing (thankfully it is not consistently one brother left out), but that typically happens when Z is home.
 
Z really "stirs the pot" as we put it.  The boys behavior alone is out of control, but when you add Z in, holy moly. 

It is so so so so so LOUD in my house.  They scream for screaming sake, they yell and "scare" each other 2 inches from my face, there is crying, yelling, fighting, tattling, you name it. 

Dinner time (which is just a fight in general) is getting to be overwhelming.  I get so tired of fighting boys to eat (you must eat THREE bites of that).  We don't typically have dessert but thanks to Halloween we've had candy (we have GOT to toss it).  So I have been bribing them with candy (no, 3 bites is your required eating, if you want candy you need to eat everything I gave you).  And I don't make crazy stuff!!!!  There is standing on chairs (L, please sit down.  N, why are you standing?). 

I am yelling like a mad woman at them.  I HATE THAT. 

I am just so tired of it. 

So, so tired. 

Now keep in mind that it is 10 pm and it has been pouring for hours...which makes everything worse.  I will be fine (ish) in the morning.  :)