Today, I won a different sort of contest : "WORST mom EVAR!!!!" It doesn't come with a tiara - It's actually a small dark cloud that rains dirt. ;)

Especially today - FX (4 yo) was bringing water and soap into his room and rubbing them into his carpet, painting with ground chalk on the walls, and refusing to clean up. So, I did, and all the toys (except sleepy bear) are confiscated for 3 days, with a promise that any smuggled back in will be donated, since he's not treating them with respect. After that, he gets to earn them back, one at a time (though blocks and legos count as "one" toy). He also got grounded from tv for two days.

So, yeah, after spending 3 hours scrubbing walls, vacuuming, picking up toys and cleaning his carpet with a handheld steamer, and then putting up his educational posters and curtains (hadn't unpacked those yet, and really, the lesson is "no toys if you mistreat them" not "you live in an empty box"), he still thinks I'm the WORST mom EVAR!!!!

Kids. Can't live with them, can't eat them. :D