Why isn't it Saturday yet?

So, I go in this morning to wake my sleeping cherub and he rolls over and announces that he is mad that it isn't Saturday yet. I had to take a moment to rouse him out of the bed and into the shower, but I had to admit he was right. I'm mad it isn't the day we leave for vacation too! I guess it's easier for Brody (9 yrs old) to be mad than it is me. We are so looking forward to it, well everyone but Larry. He feels that he can't leave work for a week, and doesn't think his truck will carry him there and back, so he is staying home. He is very somber and unhappy about it, but is listening to us make plans and get excited. It has to be hard for him, Lord knows I would absolutely make his life miserable, but he is being gracious and trying to be happy for us, although I'm not sure he really is.

Work is crazy today. I have to meet with a photographer this morning, and every meeting in Admin. usually takes turns off the subject and lasts longer than normal. I hope we can come to some consensus about this today. I'm also looking forward to seeing some of the great baby photos that will grace the wall of our facility soon. This afternoon, I have to meet with the new Boot Camp for Dad's guy so I hope that is going to work out. I need someone who can market this class in the community. He seems really nice, so I'm hopeful. Robyn is helping me today, so I'm not quite so pushed.

Tonight is more of the same. Basketball from 4-6 for Lucas and then football for Brody from 6:15-8:00. I really need to be home getting stuff done, but since we had the wonderful rain yesterday, Larry says he is going to work late every night and all weekend while we are gone.

Lucas is reading to his precious 7th grade buddy today after a field trip to the Corn Maze. It's his reward trip for a great 9 weeks, and I am in shock that we have been in school that long. Lucas is really showing such initiative this year. I'm so proud of him. He entered a contest composing an essay on What College Can Do For Me. Janelle is on the committee and hinted to him yesterday that he might have won it, so keep your fingers crossed. He wins tons of UT stuff, sweat shirt, etc. He is stoked, so I hope he wins. He worked really hard on it, and it was amazingly insightful and mature, who knew? Sometimes when he is standing in front of the mirror with his boxers pulled up under his armpits making crazy faces, it's hard to believe that maturity will ever spring from that vessel, but I guess it happens in small increments and not huge ones. He is such a great kid.

Brody and I had a clash yesterday at Target. For those of you that may read this that have smaller children than me, you may think that someday battles with candy at the checkout will become easier, but I hate to tell you, they don't. I had agreed to get Brody a "treat" for having to go in Target with me to kill time during Lucas's basketball practice. When I was ready to leave (1 1/2 hrs later) I amazingly didn't have anything to purchase, but remembered that I told Bro I would get him a treat. Of course, he chose M&M's. The bag was King Size and was $1.19. Right under the shelf, there was a bag of Trick or Treat Candy. There was a huge bag of M&M's in smaller packs that was only $2.29. A much better savings. I showed this to Bro, explained that he would have some for later, but the economy of this didn't astound him. He melted down with anger, indignation and rage. I did the thing that any self respecting Mom was do....I bargained with him. I tried to show him the benefits of this for him, and if I'm being honest, also for me! We didn't see eye to eye, and enough was enough, so I told him he was getting nothing and that I was leaving. He continued to stay in the line after I had walked out of the store. I went to the doors and called his name and he announced that he wasn't leaving. I thought I was going to kill him. I had to do the counting thing that your never really sure will be effective. This did bring him into the double doors of the exit, but when he saw that I was faltering in my reserve, he retreated back into the store. This Target is much too busy to let him cross into the parking lot alone, so I waited. Finally after a few minutes he came out being a little less than horrible and informed me I a was a liar. It truly was all I could do not to knock his block off right there, but I am proud to say, I didn't raise my voice or my hand, in part because I knew that Target had a video trained on me and also because I'm trying not to lose my cool so much. After a long drive back to the school and a few kicks on the back of my seat, I told Brody that as punishment for being disrespectful and disobedient he would have to go to bed early. More meltdown. He would sit with me in the gym, probably a good move. In the car with Lucas my sweet boy returned and by the time we got home, he was fine again. Oh, the joys of ADHD. We muddled through very hard spelling words (don't the teachers know about spell check?) and then it was time for him to go to bed. Another meltdown. Where was Larry? In the basement. He later confessed that he heard Brody yelling, but didn't want to come upstairs to find out what that was all about. I had to spank (not beat, spank) him and then he went to bed. After about 10 min, I saw an envelope being shoved under my bedroom door. It was an envelope all decorated with hearts, and in it was the sweetest letter that said, "Mom, it was all my fault, I love you and I'm sorry". You know, sometimes it's hard to be tough, but I don't want to raise my kids to think they can skirt the system, and get away with being ugly. I pray I always remember the value of consistency and keeping my cool. I think sometimes that makes more of an impression than screaming and my toxic mouth. Score one for Mom, a dozen for sweet Bro who hopefully won't grow up to be a axe murderer as his grandfather predicted when he was 2!

Have a good day!!!

Shari