The Right to Go First

Dear Readers,

     After polling my husband, mother and two of my four children for a blog topic, I was given several ideas but none that really got me going. So I polled my facebook friends, and again, nothing really to shout about. So I thought I would blog about American Capital and how our country is going down like a sinking ship when it comes to the economy or the lack there of. But that, in all of it's aspects didn't get me riled up either. No, readers, tonight you will be disappointed. The only thing I could think of is the argument over who plays the game first.
    
     Two of my four children are at Summer Youth Camp for 3 days and nights and the two youngest are at home. And they love their video game that plugs into the television. A race car set-up with about 30 different types of games. And usually, we go youngest to oldest, but with the two oldest being away, I thought it would be nice for the oldest of the two to go first, since the youngest is always going first.
    
     Operation: This will likely go bad is a go! And boy was it! One tantrum turned into 4 in a matter of minutes. I'm in the bedroom putting away laundry like a mad woman, upset because I can't think of anything to write about. Hubby is doing the dishes and, unbeknownst to me, the boys are at each others throats over this video game. My youngest comes into the bedroom all smiling like a Cheshire cat and gets on my bed.  About 15 second later, my husband, the tall, intimidating, stern voiced man points and our son and motions with the death finger to 'come here'. I ask what happened. Through a plug of spit tobacco he says, "he's going to bed. He's showing out, pushing the television because he can't go first."
    
     Well, I'm not going to argue with that. He was right in every way to put him to bed for his behavior. It was 9pm after all. No sense in staying up too late. Putting away the remaining laundry, I venture to the boys' room to put away their laundry and I'm greeted with the most sorrowful tears that any mom could hear. Not the kind that causes you to laugh, but the kind that makes you think his heart is just breaking into a million pieces.
    
     I set down beside him and the tears come even harder, full of sniffles and snubs and slobbery snot. I try to ask him what happened and heard, "i'ba i'ba i'ba (sniff sniff) i'ba play da video gae gae gae... (sniff sniff) I'ba play da video game first but Kody said no..." more tears and loud sobs... What is a mom to do. I gave him a hug of understanding and explained to him he could not always go first. That taking turns was an important role in life. My husband would have began singing "you can't always get what you want... but if you try sometimes, you just might find... You get what you need".  I hate it when he does that because he is usually singing it to me when I see a sale and we are short on money. Nevertheless, I was not about to go that route with our son.
    
     After a nice cup of water and a few more hugs, he calmed down a little. I was still hesitant on letting him get out of bed because he really didn't need to think if he cried enough, he could get what he wanted. So, I explained to him that should he not show out tomorrow, he would get to play the game and that if he apologized for his wrong behavior, he could get up and go back to the living room and root for his brother to win. And now, as I blog, he is in the living room laughing, cutting up as if nothing ever happened. Such resilient little creatures children are.
    
     So perhaps, the next time that sale is going and I'm throwing a fit, I might reflect back on this. Then again... maybe not!

Until tomorrow,
LaVonda