Grounding 101 (Or what the heck happened Thursday)

Early Thursday I published this tiny post  EVERYONE Is GROUNDED This was not a major grounding. No life changing - ground shaking events took place. It was what I call a graduated or low level grounding. Just a one day,  for the day your life is mine kind of grounding.

And it starts like this........

First you allow them to have a friend sleep over which is fine. Then they stay up half the night which is fine.
In the morning there are girls spread all over the living room which is fine. Then even though your kids get up eventually their friend continues to lay sprawled across the couch....until two o'clock in the afternoon. Which isn't a huge deal but after awhile sitting on the kitchen chairs all day starts to get a little old. I considered yelling Fire and I suggested a bucket of water at one point but Middlest just laughed even though......I wasn't entirely joking......anyway not a problem really, she eventually got up and then proceeded to seem like she was never leaving....I didn't specify a time so I can't say much and then Middlests' boyfriend showed up without warning and dinner time was approaching and I didn't have enough planned for an extra child but in the nick of time the friends boyfriend shows up to get her.
Then.....
They all decide to go to Smoothie King.....without asking first.......20 minutes before dinner......
I notice that they all are going out the door and since Mids boyfriend has to go to work I figure they can't be long and decide to be magnanimous and call out, ok but you don't have long you need to get it and come straight back.
Then I walk in the living room and noticed It Is Trashed!  *Sigh* Oh well, they have to pick up when they get back.
So an hour and 15 later I text: Time to come home.
To which I get: Why?
So I say: you didn't ask in the first place so don't push it.
And then proceed to get in an "but I didn't hear that" and I thought Littlest told you we were going and I thought Middlest told you argument back."
So I said: (Continuing to be magnanimous.)You were not in trouble for going you will be in trouble for arguing; Come. Home.
They do and pick up the mess but in an hour they are sitting in there again.

Ok. Now I have two over tired teens who were up all night and myself who has been up since 4 A.M. sitting on kitchen chairs and chasing a puppy.

Happily tucked in my bed at 9 ready to relax I get an angry Mid bursting into our room *Demanding* I do something about the argument she is having with Littlest. They are fighting over the computer. They have to share one now because one of them downloaded some kind of mess on the "good" computer which is for business and they can't use it. Anyway.......Solution: No More Computer Tonight. For anyone.
To which Littlest decides it's a good time to get in a stand off with me about the computer and ends up losing her phone and Nintendo as well.
Soooo she goes in to find Mid and then they........ Get in a fight over the TV.
Solution: No more TV for the night.
So they went in their rooms and painted. Whew, Peace at last.

Shiny new morning
I am up at 5 with the puppy because the children....well they are tired, I will continue to be magnanimous.  I'll let it go for awhile but when they get up I tell them they need to get their chores done, pick up their stuff, vacuum, trash, morning dishes. I have some important work to take care of in the office. And a blog post to write.

Later I go up to get something to drink and find that every glass in the house has been used between dinner dishes the night before and 10 in the morning. The kitchen has not been touched. The trash is overflowing.
I wander towards the living room passing random piles of flip flops, crumpled papers and art supplies strewn across the dining room table. The coffee table is obliterated by chip bags, cookie packages, dirty plates and glasses. The carpet confettied with crumbs. Two blanket covered heaps are snugly ensconced on the couch staring through half slit eyes as the tv blares.

Sooo I say: You guys need to get up and clean up this mess and finish your chores.

To which I get 2 sets of rolled eyes, a "humph" noise and a very snotty "I'm in the middle of watching a show and I was getting ready to go somewhere" followed by a peanut gallery of "I'm tired, I'll do it later" followed by a response of  I'm not doing it if she's not."

Which is when magnanimous turns in to magnanimosity.

And to which any Mom out there, particularly the ones who have teens or stopped by my blog early Thursday, know what the answer was.

And then they did their work and took charge of the puppy for the rest of the day and I returned to my office to finish my very important work. And catch up on my blog reading.


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