LAST NIGHT
A momentous occasion happened at our house last night!
I made banana muffins.
I was sure once I brought Alex home that I would NEVER be making banana cake, muffins or bread again. He LOVES banana's and I was sure there was never a chance of a spare banana or two turning brown and allowing for me to mix up some yummy banana concoction.
But last night it happened!!!
Ta...da!
How these two banana's made it, is beyond me. Maybe the fact that I buy banana's almost every time I go to the grocery store or the fact that Alex has been here for almost one year, has decreased his desire to consume every banana available at the earliest opportunity? I don't know. I just got out the mixer and smiled to myself. I was making a banana recipe!
THIS MORNING
Much to do and no ambition to do anything!
I've been going and going and today I have little on my calendar but a LOT on my "to do" list and I want to crawl back in bed on this rainy, gray day and read my book.
Is that so bad?
We survived the crazy wind last night with only a few small branches lost from our big front trees. Whew. It could have been worse.
YESTERDAY
Had another lying talk with Alex yesterday. Over the stupidest thing. A cookie. I really didn't care if he had a cookie earlier or not-I would have still let him have another one, but he lied. Said he hadn't had one. Sibling confronted him on it. He admitted he lied. I asked if he just forgot or lied. (I was trying to give him an easy out.) Lied, he said. And he did it so quickly. The lie. Like second nature. And such a dumb thing to lie about. Here is part of his journal entry from last night:
Today I lied to my mom about a little dumb cookie.
We talked about if it was okay to lie about little things? No. Because if you lie about little things you will lie about big things and then how can I trust him? We talked about what his consequence will be if he lies again-I wanted ideas from him because apparently all my ideas were just not working. (His consequence last night of course was no cookie-in fact no more food for the night-he had just eaten dinner.) He couldn't come up with any other ideas besides the one's I already use. Then he got a little sarcastic and suggested he won't eat for a week-just drink. I said no. I would never do that. Then he said he would kneel in salt for an hour. (He is really testing me here- his eyes are just dancing with mischievousness!) I asked if he thought I would do that? No. I told him he's right. I don't do punishments like that. So, I asked what he hated to do the most? He quickly responded with "Work!" "Okay, then next time you lie you will have to do an hours worth of work!" He groaned then quickly and jokingly said "No, no, I love work!". I laughingly told him that was also a lie!
He owed me a few more sentences in his journal for misspelling words we've already gone over and over (he writes his corrected words in his own dictionary and he's suppose to look them up if he's not sure of their spelling. He's lazy so often times he THINKS he can remember the spelling or he just guesses.Then when he goes to add them to the dictionary-after we correct his writing and they're already IN the dictionary-he owes me another sentence!) This is his interpretation of our discussion about his future consequence if he lies again. (Warning! This sentence is without mama editing!)
I going to be gronded form my mom and if I lie agin I we get atra work.
Needless to say we had some more spelling and sentence structure to work on.
And for his blessing today he wrote:
I wish I will stop lieing to my family.
Although not really a blessing I guess you can consider the fact that he wants to STOP lying a blessing. Right?
TODAY
This morning we talked about entitlement.
I know. Big word. Alex feels entitled to just about everything everyone else has. At dinner if someone wants the last of something he wants half of it. Last night he and Austin shared the last of the chicken then Rylee wanted to finish the mandarin oranges and he wanted half of those too. I explained that he already had half of the chicken-let Rylee have the oranges.
Then at breakfast he had eggs and one of my momentous banana muffins. Rylee who detest eggs asked for a second muffin. "Me have muffin too Mom?" I explained that there were only two muffins left one for me and one for Devree so he turned to Rylee and suggested they split her muffin. I was miffed. Then I realized he has no clue. He's not getting it. So we talked about how Rylee didn't have eggs and he did. (She hates eggs.) And that he is not entitled to half of everything-like last night. We talked about what entitled means. That he needs to consider the fact that he's had more of one thing so it's okay for someone else to have more of something else. He seems to understand.
(Sigh)
THE FUTURE?
Each day I think, TODAY I am not going to have a big talk with Alex. I'm just going to love him and enjoy him and yet....I don't think a day goes by that I don't call him on something, explain some basic principle, chastise, reprimand, and talk until I'm blue in the face.
And some of our talks are so stupid.....like this one:
THE PAST
Alex came home with a friend from school. He was wearing plaid shorts and mid calf BLACK socks! Like an old man tourist. (How I missed that in the morning is beyond me-but it has something to do with my crazy busy life!)
"Alex, why did you wear those socks with your shorts? You know you're suppose to wear white short socks with shorts."
(I know not the end of the world-but I am trying to help him assimilate and fit in in every area of life! Snort if you'd like but, I believe that a child who is clean, coordinated and dressed somewhat to current standards has a much better chance of being accepted, making friends and treated kindly by peers and adults alike.)
Alex: I no could find white socks.
Me: Why didn't you ask me? There were some clean in the dryer.
(This irritates me because he asks me a million inconsequential things everyday and he can't ask me if he has some white socks clean?)
Alex: Oh.
Later that night we talk about what he and his friend did. I mention what a nice boy his friend is, that I like him. He tells me his friend did not have on black socks with his shorts. Laughing I say, "I know. I wonder why?" Alex quickly responds, "Because his mom already taught him!"
Hum....
I guess all these talks, lectures and reprimands, that I repeat over and over are just lessons. Lessons Alex missed in his first ten years of life.
(Big sigh)
I just hope some of them sink in soon!
A momentous occasion happened at our house last night!
I made banana muffins.
I was sure once I brought Alex home that I would NEVER be making banana cake, muffins or bread again. He LOVES banana's and I was sure there was never a chance of a spare banana or two turning brown and allowing for me to mix up some yummy banana concoction.
But last night it happened!!!
Ta...da!
How these two banana's made it, is beyond me. Maybe the fact that I buy banana's almost every time I go to the grocery store or the fact that Alex has been here for almost one year, has decreased his desire to consume every banana available at the earliest opportunity? I don't know. I just got out the mixer and smiled to myself. I was making a banana recipe!
THIS MORNING
Much to do and no ambition to do anything!
I've been going and going and today I have little on my calendar but a LOT on my "to do" list and I want to crawl back in bed on this rainy, gray day and read my book.
Is that so bad?
We survived the crazy wind last night with only a few small branches lost from our big front trees. Whew. It could have been worse.
YESTERDAY
Had another lying talk with Alex yesterday. Over the stupidest thing. A cookie. I really didn't care if he had a cookie earlier or not-I would have still let him have another one, but he lied. Said he hadn't had one. Sibling confronted him on it. He admitted he lied. I asked if he just forgot or lied. (I was trying to give him an easy out.) Lied, he said. And he did it so quickly. The lie. Like second nature. And such a dumb thing to lie about. Here is part of his journal entry from last night:
Today I lied to my mom about a little dumb cookie.
We talked about if it was okay to lie about little things? No. Because if you lie about little things you will lie about big things and then how can I trust him? We talked about what his consequence will be if he lies again-I wanted ideas from him because apparently all my ideas were just not working. (His consequence last night of course was no cookie-in fact no more food for the night-he had just eaten dinner.) He couldn't come up with any other ideas besides the one's I already use. Then he got a little sarcastic and suggested he won't eat for a week-just drink. I said no. I would never do that. Then he said he would kneel in salt for an hour. (He is really testing me here- his eyes are just dancing with mischievousness!) I asked if he thought I would do that? No. I told him he's right. I don't do punishments like that. So, I asked what he hated to do the most? He quickly responded with "Work!" "Okay, then next time you lie you will have to do an hours worth of work!" He groaned then quickly and jokingly said "No, no, I love work!". I laughingly told him that was also a lie!
He owed me a few more sentences in his journal for misspelling words we've already gone over and over (he writes his corrected words in his own dictionary and he's suppose to look them up if he's not sure of their spelling. He's lazy so often times he THINKS he can remember the spelling or he just guesses.Then when he goes to add them to the dictionary-after we correct his writing and they're already IN the dictionary-he owes me another sentence!) This is his interpretation of our discussion about his future consequence if he lies again. (Warning! This sentence is without mama editing!)
I going to be gronded form my mom and if I lie agin I we get atra work.
Needless to say we had some more spelling and sentence structure to work on.
And for his blessing today he wrote:
I wish I will stop lieing to my family.
Although not really a blessing I guess you can consider the fact that he wants to STOP lying a blessing. Right?
TODAY
This morning we talked about entitlement.
I know. Big word. Alex feels entitled to just about everything everyone else has. At dinner if someone wants the last of something he wants half of it. Last night he and Austin shared the last of the chicken then Rylee wanted to finish the mandarin oranges and he wanted half of those too. I explained that he already had half of the chicken-let Rylee have the oranges.
Then at breakfast he had eggs and one of my momentous banana muffins. Rylee who detest eggs asked for a second muffin. "Me have muffin too Mom?" I explained that there were only two muffins left one for me and one for Devree so he turned to Rylee and suggested they split her muffin. I was miffed. Then I realized he has no clue. He's not getting it. So we talked about how Rylee didn't have eggs and he did. (She hates eggs.) And that he is not entitled to half of everything-like last night. We talked about what entitled means. That he needs to consider the fact that he's had more of one thing so it's okay for someone else to have more of something else. He seems to understand.
(Sigh)
THE FUTURE?
Each day I think, TODAY I am not going to have a big talk with Alex. I'm just going to love him and enjoy him and yet....I don't think a day goes by that I don't call him on something, explain some basic principle, chastise, reprimand, and talk until I'm blue in the face.
And some of our talks are so stupid.....like this one:
THE PAST
Alex came home with a friend from school. He was wearing plaid shorts and mid calf BLACK socks! Like an old man tourist. (How I missed that in the morning is beyond me-but it has something to do with my crazy busy life!)
"Alex, why did you wear those socks with your shorts? You know you're suppose to wear white short socks with shorts."
(I know not the end of the world-but I am trying to help him assimilate and fit in in every area of life! Snort if you'd like but, I believe that a child who is clean, coordinated and dressed somewhat to current standards has a much better chance of being accepted, making friends and treated kindly by peers and adults alike.)
Alex: I no could find white socks.
Me: Why didn't you ask me? There were some clean in the dryer.
(This irritates me because he asks me a million inconsequential things everyday and he can't ask me if he has some white socks clean?)
Alex: Oh.
Later that night we talk about what he and his friend did. I mention what a nice boy his friend is, that I like him. He tells me his friend did not have on black socks with his shorts. Laughing I say, "I know. I wonder why?" Alex quickly responds, "Because his mom already taught him!"
Hum....
I guess all these talks, lectures and reprimands, that I repeat over and over are just lessons. Lessons Alex missed in his first ten years of life.
(Big sigh)
I just hope some of them sink in soon!
This is my last official post from Ukraine last year. I have a couple more after this but I made them from home.
http://blessedwitharichhart.blogspot.com/2009/04/april-28thday-42last-post-from-ukraine.html
4 of my blog friends said something...:
Wendy, hate to correct you, but look around. I already had a talk with my son about looking like an unloved orphan wearing the black socks and lo and behold he pointed out half the other boys around us and it is the new hottest trend at school. Ugly black sunday socks, half way up the calf with sport shorts, plaid shorts, jean shorts, etc....As mothers we need to revolt against this revolting fashion statement!!!!
Thanks for always sharing with all of us.
Margie! Too funny. Unfortunately I don't think Alex's socks were a fashion statement or that he notices what other wear. It was just lack of clean white socks!
I will be on the look out for this fashion statement. Yuck. At least it's not tat's and gage's!
Wendy, I love hearing about your talks with Alex. They make me laugh! Next time, take a picture of Alex in his shorts and high black socks..something to smile about 10 years from now when he finally cares about what he wears!
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