Read Elsewhere

I have often described the frustration of trying to get the girls to do very simple things as "trying to herd kittens" and have recently noticed myself actually boxing out my own children, middle-school-basketball-style, in the kitchen as I try to get them out the door (shuffling feet back and forth, "No! Once you have your boots on, don't walk around the rest of the house! We're going out the door!"). But leave it to my favorite blogger, Linda at All and Sundry, to explain it even better. I have re-read this about 17 times now, and it's not getting any less funny to me, so, here:

Everyone knows children’s brains are formed of large chunks of Silly Putty and clouds of easily-distracted bees, but man, sometimes I can’t believe the effort it takes just to get someone to carry out ONE directive. I feel like a deranged border collie, nipping and nagging at the heels of my kids in order to herd them towards the thing I’ve asked them to do: “Brush (yap!) your (bark bark!) teeth! Walk to the bathroom (yip!) NOW, and pick UP your toothbrush (nip nip) and—PUT DOWN THE TOY, and (yap!) GO BRUSH YOUR—WHY ARE YOU SITTING THERE AAARRGGGH (bark bark bark *overwhelmed piddle*)”