Alpha was in Japan this past week. She comes home tonight, and not a minute too soon. The week started out well, the in-laws took care of the kids and cooked and minded the cats while I worked. Everything went well. Even the weekend wasn’t so bad, really. I mean, we were all tired and cranky by then. And the cats didn’t do anything especially bad or gross. And the oldest daughter Beta even cleaned out the litter boxes when I told her to. And when I did finally flip out because I was, mostly, simply tired, and tired of the kids bickering, and tired of being *ignored* by the kids when I told them stuff, or getting snotty answers, and when, after lecturing Beta on some damn thing I of course can’t remember anymore and she said “Now I can understand why mom breaks a coffee cup sometimes” and I said, “So can I, it makes you feel!” [smashing first coffee cup onto kitchen floor] “So damn much better!” [smashing second cup onto kitchen floor] I had enough self-control to smash the cheap cups. At this point, Gamma, 4, said, “You’re not supposed to break the coffee cups.” Beta said nothing for a while, but we were getting along again within an hour.
Neither I nor my wife grew up in a house where crockery was regularly broken on purpose, but we have learned to enjoy the practice. Self-control is a good thing, but anything can be overdone, and if you’re going to go bug-eyed crazy now and then, breaking a cheap cup is a harmless way to do it.
The Miguel/Spacey Time Continuum at work here again. Reminiscent of the ‘I’m not gonna take it anymore’ dinner scene in American Beauty.
I am glad to see that I’m not the only blogger that has a family dynamic that sometimes includes the ‘feel good’ smashing of property.
Problem is, it tends to be inflationary – it takes more and more to make the same impression on the audience.
So I’ve got my eye on some chairs, too. For later.
Gosh, that was so much better than an “about” page. More, please.
I’m taking that as an excellent suggestion! I have usually just thrown inconsequential objects, like piles of papers and soft furniture.
I throw fits. And small children. I’ll have to try pottery next.
I bought a cardbox box full of glasses from one of my landlords for two dollars; whenever I felt a need to smash things I’d hurl a few of them into the tub*.
Damn, I’m out of glasses.
(*didn’t want my kitty cat to hurt his paws!)
the thing i’ve found about flinging crockery is that afterward, you have to clean it up. an excellent deterrent for me, i hate to clean. especially shards of sharp stuff. just not fun. it would be fun, though, if you were rich & had a full time cleaning staff. in that case, i’d also have to have regular dish deliveries, to replenish the supply.
*sigh* i haven’t thrown a cup in a long, long, time. it’s good memories, just reading about it.
I have broken enough stuff in my old house. Especially nice was when I was living on the 3rd floor, and we had an unused courtyard behind us. Nearly killed a cat though….
Breaking stuff can be so satisfying….
i just throw my cat, usually.
(just kidding, of course. . .)