Screaming

Right now I am listening to the "Go, Diego, Go" theme song in the background. It is 7:30pm and we normally do not watch cartoons after 7pm--it is just a rulle e have. We usually watch some kind of famil show together at 7:30pm--something like "Wipeout", or "Dancing with the Stars". That way the kids like it, but Jeremy and I can enjoy it (although from the sound of my husband practising his Spanish in the other room, he is quite enjoying Diego!). Tonight though, I am just trying to finish out the day and get the kids in bed by 8pm. They have made me CRAZY today! They have just been fighting non-stop, and worse then that, Jackie has been screaming his head off. For Jackie the scream is a multi-purpose tool. He screams, when he is mad, to express frustration, when he is excited or having fun. He screams all the time! I have tried everything to get him to stop--time-out, distracting and redirecting, and even spanking. Today I sunk to a new low in my parenting and did something I always said I would never do--but I just couldn't take it anymore!!! SO, I said "Jackie, STOP SCREAMING (I am screaming myself at this point)!! Only little girls scream!!!" The boys are going through the girls are disgusting phase, and in my frustration I thought perhaps I could get him to stop my comparing him to a horrific girl...however, it didn't work. He knew I was just trying to make him stop, and he totally didn't take me seiously--in fact, he laughed at me. I am fixing to go OVER the EDGE!!! Someone HELP ME!!!!!