We Are Gonna Starve

Tonight, as dinner was cooking, I told the older two boys to clear the table and the younger two to pick up the living room. The table was still strewn with papers and dishes from this morning and the syrup container from our breakfast of pancakes. The boys brought home the newest brochures of things for them to sell for the school and they were strewn from hither to yon.

Dinner was nearly done. I needed coffee, desperately. And I was not in a mood to be toyed with. The boys had spent the whole afternoon watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (because I have found them to be exhausted come Thursday, but Mickey Mouse Clubhouse? Really? I'd take a hunting show over that!) and when I said "move", I expected them to "move".

They didn't.

By this time Daddy was home and Daddy seen the boys not moving on their chores and Daddy and Moma heard when S3 stepped on the matchbox car on the messy living room and fell to the ground crying and holding his foot.

S4 was mumbling at him and playing with his beloved car, making sure it was still in tact when Moma stormed in.

Oh, I stormed.

And I promptly sent them up to bed, to stay on their beds and not come down until I said so.

Mean Moma.

Daddy couldn't resist, he had to hear what they were saying.

And then he gave me a play by play. S4 began blaming S3 for stepping on his car and getting them in this mess. "You shoulda not cried" he explained.

S3 bemoaned the fact that his foot hurt.

S4 began to sniffle. "Now we won't get to eat dinner. And I am hungry. We are gonna starve and then I'll DIE!" He began to wail.

Big brother came to the rescue here. "No", S3 informed him, "We won't starve for three days. We can go three days without food. A big kid on the playground told me so it has to be true!"

S4 wasn't buying it. "But I am hungry and I will starve THIS DAY!" He then began bemoaning the fact that it was all his brothers fault that he was going to starve and die.

He is such a positive little fellow.

There was more discussion and it wasn't long before they realized they needed water more than food so S3 was brave and came sneaking down the steps.

And I, oh yes blog readers, with a very firm voice and straight face, told him to get back up those steps and not come down again, they didn't need water.

And then I might have maybe giggled as they were sure their fate was doomed.

Now, keep in mind, while this is going on the table is getting set by the older two boys in lightning time. The entire time the two little guys were upstairs was - at the most - 15 minutes.

But they were going to starve, they were sure.

Daddy did a good job of setting them straight, informing them they need to listen to their Moma and then they sulked down the steps where a barely holding the giggles in Moma was given a soulful apology, given kisses on the cheek and they sat silently waiting for their dinner.

After dinner they were able to dine on Sugar Cookies. And now they are watching a John Deere movie on how to grow food - just in case, you know.