Behind Closed Doors

(I usually like to put a picture with my blog posts which corresponds to the subject matter but couldn't find one that was perfect for this particular post so instead please enjoy this lovely photo of a broom. For your, you know, viewing pleasure and stuff.)

The boys are being quiet right now, which is why I'm here. But they've closed themselves into their room, which could indicate one of two things: that Colin is trying to confine Cameron into one spot so he'll stick around, or that they're conspiring to do something naughty behind that closed door. I'm voting on the latter, which is why I'm almost afraid to go look.

It's a catch-22, really (which is defined as "a difficult situation from which there is no escape because it involves mutually conflicting or dependent conditions" ... I know this because I totally just had to look that up to make sure it was right even though it's a phrase I use all the time). They are in their room, which means they're safe and contained. And it means I get some quiet time. However, they could be in there absolutely trashing the joint, which makes the whole scenario a lot less appealing.

Because that means I'd have to either clean it up myself (5 minutes) or hover around barking orders like an overlord until the boys finish the job (30+ minutes). Trying to get a 21-month-old to pick up toys is like trying to keep gloves on an octopus. Cameron picks up one toy, takes his sweet time moseying over to the toybox, puts it in, and then promptly takes something else out because it catches his eye. And then Colin gets mad because "Mom-myyyy, Cameron's not helpiiiiiing!" and either boycotts picking it all up himself or pokes/smacks/pushes his brother, and we have to deal with that. Which is why I'd rather just do it myself, but then it doesn't teach them anything about responsibility and whatnot (I've been down that road before). Which is why I find myself in yet another conundrum: easy on me, or lesson for them?

So what we have here is a difficult situation. They're still in there. I could a.) go peek at them, realize to my relief that they're playing quietly, and come back to my blog (though I risk interrupting them, in which case they'll start to bother me instead of playing); b.) go peek at them, see that every item they own is strewn across their floor, and become irritated; or c.) ignore them for a little while longer because ignorance is bliss. Why does parenthood present me with such challenges?

Okay ... I'm going to check on them right now. In real time. Live.

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... Aaaaaand I'm back. They were playing quietly; unfortunately, they had dumped the contents of their drawers onto the floor because they were playing "clothes store."

Ironic, really, since Colin wasn't wearing pants.

Oh well. Guess it could have been worse. And at least I got a blog post out of it.

And you got to see a sweet picture of a broom. Lucky!