Revision

So, in my last post, I wrote this:

Siblings form a bond right at birth and little phases of bickering do not harm it. My kids LOVE each other SO much and I am grateful for that every day.

While this is STILL true, it doesn't mean I haven't gotten just a little annoyed with the whining/fighting that has been going on in my house for the last two hours. And it happens to be only 9:44 AM.
The problem begins with the ear-infection-fighting baby who was up for two hours in the night and got up at 6 am. The problem worsens with the brother who went to bed late and got up very early and just wants to go out and ride his bike (which we will do later.) The main source of the problem is the mom who went out to the movies with her friends last night and came home at 1:30 to a baby who woke up for the next couple hours. This mom's husband and sisters can attest to her severe grouch issues when there is a lack of sleep.
This alleged whining coming from the living room will most likely become worse in the coming years. I mean, I can't be naive about it. I grew up in the age before every teenage kid had a cell phone and Jeff and I had full-on WARS every night over using the phone. My mom probably wanted to pull her hair out... But she didn't.
I guess the hope is that your nerves become less sensitive as you hear it more and the kids get older. (And maybe you have more to threaten them with than skipping out on the park for the day.)
All of my babbling is just coming to the conclusion that I have to make a long-term goal.
I hope to be more patient and tolerant like I see in the examples of moms around me who have been doing this A LOT longer than four years. You know who you are, Mom, Tina, etc...
And a short-term goal: Get these kids OUT of the house to run around and get ready for a LOOOOOOONNNNGG nap! (: