It was a typical Monday morning.

Well, not really. My girls were home from school because they believed I poisoned them with my cooking. Vinnie, my 16-year-old was actually at school, so again, not my typical Monday morning. AJ my 23-year-old, was home, because, well, I have no idea. He was supposed to be at work. So perhaps it was not a “typical” Monday morning, and that should have been my red flag.

The girls are sleeping because of “tummy issues.” I am getting caught up on laundry and Facebook. Vinnie calls me from school. Apparently he fell in some mud and wanted to know if he could come home and change. Of course he can come home and change! Did he seriously think I was going to say “no?”

AJ, is in the bathroom. Everything after this is a blur. It began when Vinnie came home and wanted to go to the bathroom. He realized AJ was in there, they got into some verbal scuffle that I was not able to make out.

Vinnie comes out to the living room “Mom, what is he even doing here? Shouldn’t he be at work?”

Enter AJ. AJ comes out of the bathroom, and sees/hears Vinnie. All hell broke loose. I knew what was about to happen. AJ is coming for Vinnie, Vinnie is not backing down.

Important to note, both of my sons are not only taller than I am, they are bigger. I had no chance.

I tried, I really did “STOP, STOP, STOP! WE ARE NOT GOING TO DO THIS!”

They were not having it. Before I knew it, my two sons were punching each other, rolling around on the floor, had eachother in headlocks….and there was me, in the middle of it all. Trying to referee yet not having much luck.

Vinnie had a chokehold on AJ, AJ somehow had a chokehold on Vinnie and all I could do was say “WE ARE BETTER THAN THIS…..STOP!!!”

It fell on deaf ears.

Then the two idiots jump up at the same time, each taking their place across from each other, like a boxer stance if you will. “C’mon, let’s go!” “I’ll take it outside, bro, come with it!”

I jump in the middle. One hand on AJ’s chest, one hand on Vinnie’s chest. They may be strong, but I am stronger.

“WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TWO DOING, I WANT AN EXPLANATION NOW!”

Again, I am talking to myself.

“Mom, get out the way, get out the way mom, you’re going to get hurt.”

Now, between you and me, I was soooo afraid I was going to get hit. Not intentionally, but something set these two off and there was no bringing them in. I said a silent prayer “Please do not let me get hit, please do not let me get hit.”

I am in the process of training to be a parent facilitator at the girls’ school. Can you imagine if I got hit in all this mess. “Meet your new parent facilitator, Jennifer, she is the one with the black eye. Clearly she can not facilitate her own home.”

And then, enter Gracie and Sofia. All the damn fighting woke them up. Sofia is crying, Gracie is laughing.

Sofia~ “Please do not kill each other!”

Gracie~ “This is the best day ever!”

And then just like that, it stopped. Vinnie went outside to cool off, AJ stood there with sweat dripping down his 6’6 frame, and I went to make sure the girls were okay.

Even now, hours later, I have no idea what set these two off, but it was not pretty. I know it is normal for siblings to fight….but to fight in a drop down dirty kind of way…..WITH YOUR MOTHER IN THE MIDDLE……well, it was not good.

I know my sons. Vinnie takes a long time to get over things. AJ is able to let it go. All I know is this is unacceptable for two brothers, it is unacceptable behaviour for this household…..and more importantly, it is unacceptable behaviour for their sisters to see.

Jennifer