Holy cow!!

Goodness gracious alive! What a night! Ryker is off his rocker tonight!

Ryker in a demanding tone: I'm starving! I need food immediately!

Me thinking: What the...??!! Who does he think he is? Who does he think I am? Surely he knows me better than to think that sort of attitude will get him ANYTHING he wants...

Moving on. I start cooking and get the kids going on clean-up so we have a spot to eat at the table.

Raelin dawdles. Ryker downright refuses to clean. Despite repeated warnings that he will not get food unless he cleans, he continues to cause trouble and pester everyone and clean nothing. Eventually he jabs Raelin with a freshly sharpened pencil and I send him to his room. When I get there, I find crayons all over the floor. Angry Ryker and writing utensils do NOT mix. So we clean up the crayons. A few minutes later, it becomes apparent that I must have missed a crayon or two because I can hear Ryker drawing on the walls upstairs (yes, I have finely tuned hearing and can hear and recognize these sorts of disastrous noises through walls and floors). I go up and take away his crayons and scold him. Okay, maybe I gave his rear end a swat or two as well.

Things finally settle down and those of us who were productive for at least 15 minutes before dinner, get to eat.

Ryker wailing: Please don't eat without me!!! PLEASE don't eat without me!!!

Pitiful

Ryker: I have to go potty!

Me: Ryker, you can only come out if you promise not to argue with me about why you should get to eat dinner.

Silence.

Ryker: I'm starving!

Me: Ryker, you chose not to work so you get no food.

Ryker: But I'm hungry!

Me: Then you should have helped clean.

Ryker crying: I want to clean! I want to clean!!! Please let me clean!!

Heart-wrenching.

But still no dinner. Sorry, Bud.