Children and their split personalities

Is it just my kids or do they all seem to have split personalities? They can be the sweetest and most angelic things on the planet. The next minute, they are spawns of Satan. Nothing makes them happy. They complain about anything and everything. Yesterday, we hosted the worst pay date I ever had the misfortune to witness. My kids refused to share, play nicely, take turns, be polite or anything assembling behavior of a respectable member of society. Today, they played outside together nicely. They played hide and seek, blew bubbles, collected rocks and picked flowers together. Afterwards, they took a bath together and had a great time laughing and playing. Are there evil twins lurking somewhere in my house that take over the minds and bodies of my kids when my back is turned? What causes these mercurial personality changes? When, if ever, do they outgrow these mood swings? Are these normal moments in their childhood development or does the Unabomber have better social skills than my children? Will I get a break from temper tantrums and general bad behavior in group settings before the dreaded teen years? Each night, as we hug and kiss them and put them to bed, I am hopeful that tomorrow will be drama-free, tantrum-free, and fight-free. What can I say? I'm an eternal optimist.

Peaceful Playdate

Sara is enjoying a play date with a friend. It's been loud, messy, chaotic and I don't care. Why? Because they are having a great time. They are playing together nicely. Since Sara is so much younger than the rest of her 2nd grade classmates, sometimes she overcompensates by being a little bossy or controlling. I've always heard that 3 is a deadly number for girls. So, I typically invite 1 girl over at a time. I try to be the super cool mom. They can have junk food, make a mess, and be loud. As long as they play nicely with each other and don't pick on Christian, I pretty much let them run free. It's reassuring to watch Sara interact with her friends. Sometimes I feel like I am talking to a brick wall. I'm always reminding her to be considerate of people's feelings and remember to play fairly. She listens with one ear, if I'm lucky. But, when a friend comes over, she shares, takes turns, and is very solicitous of her friends. She wants them to have a good time. She is the hostess with the mostest. Now, if I can get her to play with her little brother that way, I'll be the happiest and greatest mom on the planet. I know. Wishful thinking.