Share and Share Alike

I don't like to share my toys.
There, I said it. I do not like to share my toys.
I wish I did though.

It starts when you are just little, and you have to share with your siblings. Of course, the toy you have is always the one the other child wants, and you have to share it with them. Why can't they share it with you by not wanting the same toy? I never understood that.

When Adrienne and Aaron were little, and were in Sunday School with me along with the other young mothers and their small children, it was like a competition to see whose child had the best sharing skills. Forget about the lesson being taught; the real lesson was in teaching our children social skills and sharing.

Then Ryan came along (Baby #5) and all the sharing stuff still mattered, but not as much. At least it was in a different way. More like Survival of the Fittest.

Not really.

It was more like what Ryan wanted to play with, the others didn't want anyways. Aaron was 10 years old and playing with a squeaky toy wasn't exactly his choice of toy. If anything, the girls had to learn to share Ryan. One baby and three girls, you do the math.

Nowadays, it is about sharing time on the computer, sharing the dishes (washing them, not eating off of them), and sharing the TV (USA network vs. Cartoon Network).

Back to my toys...I have a few hobbies that involve tools, like my sewing machine or scrapbooking essentials, gardening tools, and my laptop. Today, the girls were thinking about sewing. All it took was them mentioning using my sewing machine and I began to have an unnatural twitch. I mean, I want my girls to share my hobbies with me, but when they actually want to...

I think it is because I have to teach them how to use the machine properly and then I feel like I need to supervise (yes, I have control issues) and then I just don't want to share. Sounds a lot like a child.

"They might break it!"
"But, it's mine!"
"I had it first!"
"Can't you get your own?"

I got short-tempered with my girls then, and Adrienne went and got a Celtic Thunder CD and put it on to soothe the savage beast. They know me so well.

It's working.

The twitch is gone, the smile is back, the brownies are baking and smelling amazing.
I may just even share my sewing machine later today.

Love,
Dianne