It's so absurd you have to laugh

No, I'm not talking about what is happening in Washington D.C. right now ... It's something a little more on my level: - kid-dom.

This is an honest-to-goodness-hand-to-heart conversation I just had with my kids ...

While serving up dinner I asked my oldest what she might want to do after dinner. She thought about it for a bit and then answered that she wanted to play a game. Monopoly Jr. to be precise. She then asked her brother what he wanted to do after dinner and then declared (before he could answer) we would all vote on what each of us wanted to do.

Very typical first child move (or at least very typical MY first child move). It was clearly known that she (the eldest) wanted to play Monopoly Jr. So when her brother's choice of going outside was vetoed (it was about to rain) he decided he to wanted to play a game too. And not just any game, but Monopoly Jr.

Well now that just makes it simple doesn't it? Consensus made, everyone is happy. Monopoly will be played. End of story ....

Nooooooot so fast ....

No, no, no. Instead of being happy that her choice was selected by another one of her siblings, she decided to pitch her own little fit about it. And I quote: "NO, I didn't want him to pick that game! I wanted him to pick something else!" Followed by pouting and quickly tears. Absurd right? You are getting your way child. Why are you wigging out?

I tried to reason with her that she SHOULD be happy her brother wants to play the same game she does. That was my first mistake - reasoning with a six-going-on-fourteen-year-old girl. But patience, calmness etc., etc. Keep your cool mom. So I tried again to explain that it really is a good thing that he picked the game she wanted to play.

I don't know if it was because he kept saying he wanted to play the game (in that little brother taunting kind of voice) or the fact that her little sister was now chiming in with her brother but she obviously was having some kind of moment. It was clear she was torn. She had to be happy that what she wanted to do was what was chosen, but because it wasn't chosen through HER methods (which had to do with poll taking and hand raising) she wasn't happy.

So in the true spirit of my darling oldest daughter she declared "I want to play Legos."

Oy vey!

Trying to stifle a laugh (you know one of those weird creepy laughs of the insane) I attempted to simply move on from the topic. This slowly spiraled downward into "stop repeating me" and "he's looking at me," to the point that now they have to eat in silence or go into time out.

Not my finest parenting moment I'll admit, but desperate times right? They did all eat their dinners so that is something? Let's call it a draw ...

As I reflect on the chaos that was tonight's dinner (tomorrow will be another story I am sure) it occurs to me that maybe this whole debacle is some sort of metaphor for what is happening in D.C. Similarities can be drawn. And maybe there is a lesson to be learned here too. There probably is, but I gotta go clean up dinner, and hopefully play a non-violent game of Monopoly Jr.

But if you figure it out, please let me know.