Kids playing nicely?!???

I have mentioned before that I am the fifth of six kids in my family.  It was nice being in a big family growing up because if one sibling didn't want to play with me (B-A-R-B-I-E-S -my older sisters would spell it out - before I could spell- and run to their room to play without me) I could look to another sibling to play with.

My kids don't have that luxury.  Granted I think I play with them WAY more than my parents ever played with me (different times and seriously with 6 kids my mom should have been taking a hot Calagon bath way more often then she did- I don't actually think she ever did).  I worry because I feel like my children argue all the time.  If it's not one of them telling on the other, then it is one hitting the other, copying the other, touching, breathing, looking .... ugh you get my point.    The mantra I tell them is, "it stops with you"... which I don't know if it ever gets through to them because their response is, "no it stops with her, if she would just ...   

This last weekend we were all suppose to be busy doing our "Saturday Jobs".  My kids each had 3 jobs, plus picking up their room and school area- which without dillydally would take them 45 min. tops.   As I was busy running around trying to get my hundreds of Saturday jobs done (okay, maybe not 100s, but it felt like it) I noticed it was getting later in the day and my daughter's Saturday jobs weren't done.  Great, I am super busy and now I get to nag (despite what my kids might think I loathe nagging, but I can't find another way around it).  I was just about to nag her when...what to my wondering ears should I hear- the two kids playing together. As in nicely talking, laughing and playing together.  The conundrum-  What to do??   I need the stuff done and on most days I could probably just do it.   I was a little overwhelmed Saturday-we were getting ready to have a group of friends over that night, so I had some cooking, and other cleaning to do.   Here I complain that they don't get along and now what do they do when I NEED them to be doing their jobs... get along. (don't worry I will be watching for patterns of manipulating, but for now it was genuine happy times together).  

After some deep breaths I decided to let it go.  (Am I the only one who is constantly singing the Frozen song when I hear myself say let it go?)   I reworked in my mind what "jobs"  really needed to get done and I let my kids have their moment together.  It makes my heart happy to see and hear them getting along, so if it means my floors don't get cleaned, I'll take it.

This is a picture I have hanging up in my house because I loved that moment it was taken when they were being silly together.