Remind me again why God made boys?

Q: What do you get when you mix a pillow full of feathers, two bottles of poster paint, and 3 minutes?

A: The boys' room and a mess that takes four hours to get to a semblance of clean.

They are still up in their room now, finishing. Mary and I cleaned the carpet and got up the majority of the feathers. We left a pile for the boys to clean up. Whether or not they actually do so before their dad gets home we have yet to see. But, all the toys and books are out of the room, and I told them no snacks until it's done.

I would not want to be them if it isn't done by the time Hubby gets home. I called him at work, so he can have the rest of the day to mentally prepare. Thank God they didn't get any paint on their new walls. The carpet is going to be coming out soon anyway, so the paint stains aren't as huge a deal as they would be otherwise, but their carpet has an interesting criss-cross green and orange pattern on it now.

How did I keep from harming them? I left the room, prayed for a few minutes, then did some yoga sun salutations until I felt calm enough to deal with it. Then, and only then, did I attempt to deal with it. Now, I just need to keep repeating the mantra, "They are only little for a short time. They are only little for a short time."