Fellowship...

When I do the dishes after dinner I am always so pleased when there is someone there to talk to, someone there just so i'm not alone. Many hands make for light work right? So, in my theoretical mind I feel as though my children should have such fellowship. That they should be happy because they always have there peers to play with... there brothers and sisters. When I was a child I was not friends with my siblings... I had a brother and a cousin and we all lived in the same house. THEY were good friends! They were three years apart, and they didn't go out of their way to be awful to eachother.

My children differ slightly... they fight all the time! now it may just be that it seems like they do but I have paid attention and between the six someone is always fighting!

Yesterday was an especially large day of fighting, we had friends over which was great, but the instant the friends left they were at eachothers throats... One child even went as far as to shove another child into a door and leave bruises. When asked why it was said that one kids was touching anothers toy and because they didnt want it to get recked they wrecked them... Now let me explain this is not an isolated incident.. they think that there "things" are very important. If there were a fire I could easily see a few of my children run into the house for that special toy and leap over an injured sibling to get it.... That is really sad!

It makes me angry and then I start tto think I have been the sole cause of this. We try to make them feel special at birthdays and christmas and we buy them toys. they save there allowance and are allowed to spend it however they like. Which in its own way is good but at the same time... maybe has made them think stuff is where its at?

So in a rage (only on the inside, I had a calm exterior i assure you), i decided that if they want to love stuff more than there siblings then the STUFF has to go. So everything in there rooms was packed up, all that remains are beds, blankets, pillows and that one super special teddy or two (actually 4 in all cases). They were a little awe stricken.. then last night as they were trying to sneak around upstairs to play they realized.... there are no toys... we have to entertain ... OURSELVES!!!!! They fell asleep rather early last night... imagine that.

So this morning I figured out that if there is nothing for them to play with i am going to have to entertain them... hmmm.. well i thought... during the week that will be okay because they have school to do... and as i walk into the laundry room there are three of six children surrounding the odd sock bucket playing puppets.... amazing... I could have saved sooo much money if i had just bought them socks!