A Quiet House

My "druid" son just left with his youngest. That must have been some wedding reception at the Armory. I'm not sure about Army sergeant and druid in the same sentence but I guess you'd have to know my son. I just picture him dancing through the trees in nothing but his Sergeant's stripes and a smile.

I just switched over to Classic Arts in time for Vesta La Giubba sung by someone very familiar looking. I 'll stay up long enough to find out who. All people dressed in clown suits look alike. Maybe Jan Peerce? They run a lot of Voice of Firestone clips. This one is in color so it must be a little later unless they used color film. Nope - Richard Tucker; equally famous.

It's been a long day. Elcie and I have been squabbling. She's hitting the 'teens with a vengeance. I will pray for patience but she's not going to run over all of us. Today, I had to run 4 different errands in an hour. She and Rebecca wanted to go along with me and Ray. I said okay, but no one was going into stores with me because I really had to hurry. She said okay and then started arguing the minute we pulled away from the curb. "Elcie, what part of 'no' don't you understand?" I put up with it for about two blocks and then swung back to the house and dropped off a very surprised Elcie with her cousin and Grandma Carol. Rochelle was playing across the street at a friend's house so she was covered.

Later I caught her using some terrible words to her sister (who may have started it but Elcie can be a pain sometimes). She went to bed early sobbing about the unfairness of life. Of course I feel like the wicked witch, but I know from experience that if the camel gets its nose in the tent it won't be long before the rest follows. I don't like using bed as a discipline tactic, but with the house so crowded today, it was all I had. Her room is tiny and there's no comfortable place for her except the bed. I'm pretty sure she was overtired anyway so it may have come as a relief. I hadn't planned to leave her for the night but I looked in and she was sound asleep. Tomorrow will be better. She has to learn that her disability or even teen hormones will not excuse that type of behavior. I've been threatening to record her so she can hear for herself some of what comes out of her mouth. And she can't treat us and her little sisters like galley slaves. She can do a lot for herself and she should. It's one thing to ask one of us to bring her a drink if we're already in the kitchen; quite another to yell when we're two rooms away. She's been taught better and her manners with others are impeccable. I tell the girls they should attempt to treat their family at least as well as they do non-family. I know that's not going to happen 100% of the time; families always have some differences and siblings fight, but it's a goal to shoot for.

Rebecca got a time out since I was pretty sure she wasn't blameless. I still think Elcie started it because Rebecca came in and sat in the living room which Elcie really wanted to herself. Too bad Elcie; that's why you have your own room, small as it is. She must think she's Greta Garbo.

Morning comes early and it's almost 3:00 a.m. I'd better go to sleep before kids start waking up.

Church and choir tomorrow for Elcie. Maybe something will rub off on my wayward chick.

Classic Arts now doing Der Rosenkavalier. Nice to go to sleep by. I think I'll try it.