Matthew, "Do the spankin thing"

That inevitable time of the evening has come once again... the time when I feel sweet victory soon approaching and they feel sure demise.... BEDTIME! ha ha ha  Tonight, not unlike any others, the boys got back out of bed after I had gotten them IN bed. Joe came down to my office to tell me, "I have a tummy ache." To which I responded, "Of course you do, I just put you in bed. Now take that tummy ache, tuck it back in and tell it to go to sleep and I bet you it will disappear by morning!" Back to bed he went. Soon there after, down comes Matthew. I didn't actually hear what he said, but he thought he was being funny. I used that good ole scary mom tone to let him know he was surely NOT funny. Off he went.

Then, to my dismay, I hear running above me in our two story home. Part of me wants to smile because it's quite comical that they don't realize yet that I hear this when they do it... and part of me needs to take deep breaths as to not "over-punish."

I got upstairs and calmly grab my wooden spoon (for those of you who do not use them, don't even start with me! ha ha ha I do not spare the rod and spoil the child because I am raising Godly young men who will understand boundaries, rules and respect... ok, moving on now!)... Anyway, I grabbed it and sat down on the two steps leading to my bedroom. I said, "Matthew, please come here." He stood next to me and said, "Do the spanking thing mama."

For the life of me, I did not know what he was talking about. I had the spoon in my hand, that was the only "Spanking thing" I could think of. I asked him, "What do you mean?"... He said, "you know, the spanking there, where you talk to me and tell me what is wrong and THEN do the spanking." ha ha ha ha... He needs the tender parts to go along with the tough parts. So, I explained to him (again, since I actually already had) why he was getting a spankin, he got his spankin... and then we proceeded in the other tender part for our kiss and hug before he got himself back in bed.  I thought that was sweet.

Joe just started into promises! LOL Mama, please show mercy and I promise I will never.... yadda yadda yadda!! ha ha ha... I will be shocked if he is not an attorney when he grows up! Hmmm, just thought, maybe a pastor... they both give a persuasive argument and propel change!

And now, as I hear little feet still pouncing upstairs... I must go get them BACK in bed again. I try to give them a little bit of time to "get it out of their systems" and pretend I don't hear... sometimes they just get back in bed on their own. Tonight, it seems Matthew needs more "tender and tough" from Mama.

G'night all.