It's a Massacre!

Oh wait...no...it's just my children's weird aversion to beds, especially their own.  I'm not really sure why our kids have beds, or even rooms for that matter.  Micaiah hasn't slept in his room for months.  They prefer to sleep on the hard floor with a couple of blankets and a mound of pillows. They can be found separated as shown, or piled up on top of each other like a bunch of puppies.

Now this is one of those things that may seem like no big deal, or maybe even cute, but it really irritates me.

I want them to sleep in their own beds, and in their own room.

That is why they have them *duh*.

But at this point it's just one of those battles I choose not to fight.  I choose not to fight because no one is being harmed (though you wouldn't think it would be very comfortable), no grave sin is being committed, and because I'm too lazy to fight it (this eliminates multiple trips to put them back to bed).

Right now I choose to fight the battles against bad attitudes, sibling violence, lying and other various issues of morality.  But after this the lines get a little blurry.  Do I fight for a clean room, a lower noise level, an empty plate, or a nice appearance in public?  Are these things necessary for good character development, or do I want them done so that I will look good in front of other people?  I find that anyone that has been a parent for any number of years (myself included) likes to throw this phrase around.  "You have to choose your battles."  But how do we know which battles are to be fought and which we can let go?  Which are important, and which ones just make us feel better?  It's a great  phrase to make yourself appear as if you know what you are doing as a parent, but most days... I don't really have a clue.  And the longer I am a parent, the less I know what I'm doing.

So here is my questions for all you wise parents out there:

What are 3 battles that you choose to fight, and what are 3 that you could fight, but have chosen to let go of?

Without thinking real hard about it, mine are as follows:

1.  I don't fight sleeping in their own beds, but I do fight a decent bed time.
2.  I don't fight a matching clothes, but I do fight a modest ones.
3.  I don't fight a clean plates, but a do fight trying everything on your plate more than once.

I might be fighting the right battles, I might be fighting the wrong battles, but at least I'm fighting.  So that in the end I might say "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." (2 Timothy 4:7)

What do married couples really do after the kids go to sleep?

...Curl up by the fire and sip hot cocoa while wrapped in a snuggly blanket?...No.

...Put on comfy pj's,  pop in a favorite romantic comedy, and eat some delicious buttery popcorn? No.  (If you know us at all - you KNOW this is a big fat no!)

...Then maybe cozy up to their favorite someone and exchange jovial anecdotes over a glass of fine wine?  Again no.

Ok.  How about chase this nasty creature around the backyard, with a broom stick, in your underwear* while your wife laughs hysterically and takes pictures you!  A most definite YES!  And people wonder how we keep things interesting after all these years and with all our kids.

Thank you gross opossum for a wonderful evening of adrenaline spiked entertainment and hilarity!  

*Note all pictures of my husband in his underwear have been destroyed (they were blurry anyway *wink*)!