Thankfully, I was able to take the PC away and lived to tell the tale (but barely). Once the boys realized what happened, we went through both sadness and rage, and I briefly lost control of my phone, but through the help of two other kids and my dad, was able to retrieve it.

Another side effect (or direct consequence, really) is that I got zero school work done after school. After my youngest and I got chicken and potatoes from the store, he wanted to make chicken cutlets together, which was a lengthy process considering he is a kid, but turned out pretty well. He agrees that shake and bake chicken is so much easier, but I am glad he got to cook for a while and calm down a bit. I cannot say the same for the other video game-loving friend, but a workout seemed to help. All in all, this is the first time I am having time for myself today, versus usually, the boys would play video games and I would have a chance to rest. But I know that this time of re-affirming expectations and holding kids accountable takes effort, and I know in my heart it needs to be done whether I feel like it or not.

Speaking of expectations, I sent written expectations to all three kids, and so far, with mixed results, but that’s okay given that I recognize that this re-training, like cooking, is a process, and though I would like some things to cook faster, it’s going to take time for everything to get done.

And on that note, I am finally going to sleep!