When the brotherhood gets you down

So far this  morning I :

1.) have been accused of trying to burn LegoMaster by giving him a metal spoon for his oatmeal.  "Mom-you know I don't like metal spoons in hot stuff.  It burns my mouth."  For real?  I didn't realize that oatmeal that had been sitting on the counter cooling for fifteen minutes could cause third degree burns in your mouth when using a metal spoon.  I do realize that hot oatmeal hurts skin (I am sure you are also aware of this) and that is why it cools for so long before offering it to my precious boy.  He, however, in his 6 year old mind, just thinks I ignore him.  Hmm.

2.) was accused of forgetting.  LegoMaster also got mad at me because I had not written a note to his library teacher.  You see, it is library day and books must be brought in to school, put in a basket, and taken down to the library for check in.  I did not know that this happens BEFORE library; I am not a student in the class so how would I know??   You see also, said book is important to LegoMaster because the topic of the book is making wooden vehicles.  When he brought it home last Thursday, he showed it to DadOfAllTrades and they immediately began construction, Buzz included.  It has been a pleasure to watch the three of them up to their knees in wood and tools, and I have snapped many a photo of my young-ins with power tools in their hands and goggles on their eyes (safety first!).  They have not finished these vehicles because life has gotten in the way, oh horrors, and they actually had to go to work and to school.  So LegoMaster wants to keep the book.  While trying to explain to him why he must ask to renew the book, he interrupts me, not too casually-more like a "talk to the hand" type gesture- and asks if I forgot to write the note.  Seriously?  I haven't even begun to think where I may find a pen and some paper I am not embarrassed to send to his teacher and I have already forgotten?  Hmm.

3.) cleared the uneaten oatmeal from the table and sent them to school hungry.  In this instance, I actually enforced a house rule we have.  That rule states that if your bottom leaves your chair for any reason other than blood, you have told me with your actions that you are finished with your meal and your plate will be removed from the table.  I had only enforced this rule once before, but it was dinner, they had asked for an appetizer, and then ate too much of the appetizer (it was baby carrots so I guess I didn't care).  No tears then.  And, quite truthfully, no tears today because they had not even realized I had done it.  They were too busy playing with a useless kid's meal toy.  Although, LegoMaster casually asked as he was putting on  his shoes if I was going to send him to school without breakfast.  I confidently said I was going to do just that.  He said "Oh" and went back to getting ready to go.  Hmm.

On mornings like these I feel so under appreciated.  I feel that all the hard work I have done over the past years of being a mommy has been for naught.  All the times I have lovingly enforced rules, or taught how to perform the rule in a correct way, was wasted time.   That I am just some living, breathing robot that must perform her tasks or the house would not function, or at least little boys would miss the bus.  I begin to wonder why.  Not "why -insert any reasonable question here-", just "why?"

Then I look into their eyes as I am helping them zip coats and I realize that the low days make the high days that much better.  That someday they will realize what I have done for them.  It may be when their own kids are complaining and they say the inevitable "I never did that to my mom!  Did I?"  It may be when they go to college and they cannot stand going to their friends dorm room because he never changed his sheets and the room stinks.  Or it may be today, when LegoMaster hands his teacher the "Please allow him to renew this book" note I did write.

Or maybe they will never realize it.  And , truly, that is OK too.