The last BIG fight!

Thank goodness that my seven children had few fights. The two oldest boys only had two fights. The other two fighters (Carol and Sidney) often had more than a dozen a day.

The last one happened when they were almost teenagers. 

I had brought baby Paul home from the babysitter after a bad day at the beauty shop. When he started crying, they grabbed the little fellow out of the crib, each one pulling a little leg. As usual, Carol hit the first lick. I grabbed the baby and told the others to stand back while I made them fight until they were both bloody. I was tired of their fighting.

Every time they were ready to stop I made them go at it again. Gayle begged me to let them stop. Again and again I would say they were not bloody yet. She thought I had lost my mind, I guess. She said that I would have to take them to the hospital.

Finally, Sidney bloodied Carol’s nose. She hooked him behind the knees with her foot and when he was floored flat on his back she grabbed his feet and stood over him. Her blood was dripping onto his face. They were both crying.

“O.K.,” I said. If they ever fought again after that, I never knew it.  -- Polly

Carol says "We never did. We knew the next time Sidney would be bigger and stronger so I gave in that day. He actually earned the heavyweight title during that fight!"

Happy Birthday Sidney!

No more fights with Carol - time to start planning my future! (Lake Erie, PA)