That was totally me.

We had swim practice this morning.  Then, I invited a friend to come home and spend five hours with us.  It went great.  Kids had a great day.  Followed all that by a swim meet.  Also, lots of fun was had.  Then, hot and exhausted, we take the kids to Bruester's Ice Cream for half price banana splits.  We try to make this a few times a summer, and just works out to be Thursday nights, right after their meets.  Geoff decides to go to the little boys room at the pool we were at tonight, and because he came straight from work, had his own car to drive and we went ahead of him and left.  I ordered two banana splits.  One for the kids to share, and one for Geoff and I.  We order.  We get them.  

We sit down, and Geoff was still not there, so I take my time and try to enjoy each spoonful.  Shay seems to have taken a HUGE spoonful of the whipped cream, so I grab a spoonful off Geoff and mine and drop it on top and tell Shay to make sure she doesn't dig in too quick on that.  Then, Charlie grabs the bowl, and they are fighting over the proximity of the bowl.  Then, it's pushing.  I warned them.  Then more fighting.  I looked at them, Geoff still not there, and I just got up, ranted about greed, and took theirs and mine and threw it in the garbage, telling both of them that they are paying me the six dollars I had just spent on ice cream and giving it to Forever Fed, the ministry we serve alongside to feed the hungry in our community.  I was seething.  It hurts me to see fighting over food.  

I had to wait about 45 minutes to spank them, as I refuse to discipline out of control.  The moment after I dumped the ice cream, Geoff walks up.  Timing.  I quickly fill him in, and he goes to his car, the kids and I into mine.  I prayed on guidance.  I got more than that.  I think that while I made a HUMONGOUS scene, I hope that maybe, I might have shown another child, or parent, how to say what you mean and mean what you say.  I am not an empty threat type of parent.  My kids are more than well aware and trusting that they will not see an ice cream shop for a LOOOONG time now.  They completely know that I will march them up to the Forever Fed family, and give their own money to help serve another child that would be going to bed hungry if it were not for this ministry.  And more importantly, they we lovingly disciplined and know that God loves them, and that they are brought back into a restored relationship with our heavenly Father through contrition.  

PS  I was going to tell you all how I calmly picked up the two bowls and discreetly placed full bowls of ice cream in the garbage.  However, you all know, I don't do "calm."  Clearly, it was divinely inspired for me to even attempt to throw away nearly full ice cream bowls.  Who ever said He doesn't still perform miracles?  

PSS  I did TRY to show my kids a good time today.  Sadly, I must also be a parent, and raise people that will be loving, gentle, kind, generous, considerate, moral, ethical, and also be the hands and feet of our Lord to those around us.  Some days, that is hard.  But I keep plugging along and most days are self fulfilling.