He's getting it!

Alex has been mowing lawns this summer and has managed to (begrudgingly) open a savings account with twenty five of those precious dollars and save another $125. 

He has been plotting and planning what to buy with this money all month - claiming it's "the most money I ever have!".

First he was obsessing with buying a cell phone -as mentioned in an earlier post.  Last week Rylee mentioned Christmas and drawing names and it dawned on him that he will need money for Christmas shopping and he laid his head on the table and groaned,  "Presents?". It was very apparent that the idea of saving his money to buy Christmas presents is the lowest thing on his list! It was almost comical. I took him aside later and asked him how he would feel if he told me his birthday was next month and I acted like he did, throwing my head in my hands and saying "I have to buy you a present? Grrr..." He admitted he would feel bad. 

But apparently not bad enough to make a difference in his plan to spend his money?

He decided to buy an I-pod touch. 

Not too sure I'm happy about that but he agreed to some basic rules and guidelines with regards to it's use. Of course he doesn't have near enough for a new one but I got him on KSL and he called on a few used ones and found one close by for $120. Just in his price range. He arranged to meet the lady Saturday morning and took James with him. It is practically new. It's an older generation and doesn't take pictures or video but he is thrilled with it. (He asked the lady if she would "take a discount" very nicely and she said no but then sold it to him for $110 anyway - probably because he asked so very nicely!)

He has even figured out how to text on it! So it's almost like a phone. Of course he needs Wi-fi to text but he is in 7th Heaven!

After the priesthood session last night, he went to his first girl/boy party. It was a birthday party.  He was so excited to go but very disappointed afterwords as they sat around and didn't do a whole lot, some kids left and some girls cried over hurt feelings or whatever 7th grade drama they had drummed up.

I was standing in the kitchen checking my emails before heading to bed when he came up after the party and told me how much he had missed me. Such a funny kid. Who misses there mom at their first girl/boy party? I gave him a hug but he decided that hugging wasn't enough, he wanted me to sit down and hold him. I said I would right after I checked my emails when what to my wondering eyes appeared in my in-box???

I had won an E-bay bid for a BROKEN I-pod touch that I had not bid on or knew anything about.

What the heck?

Alex immediately denied having anything to do with it. 

After logging on to see my winning bid - A $51 broken I-pod needing a screen, a battery & with water damage I discovered that whoever placed this bid, set the max bid at $111 + $5 for shipping.  It was just too apparent that this was the workings of one uneducated, button pushing, new to eBay, excited young boy, making bids willy-nilly named.....ALEX!

Yep.

Sure enough.

Oh my. After getting the truth he claimed to not even know what a bid was. Which seems to be the problem we have every time he gets on a computer. He doesn't know what he's doing but proceeds with all confidence that he does.  Usually it's just downloading a lot of crap or importing music into programs that bogs down my Mac. But this was a new one. He actually placed a bid on an I-pod he didn't even know was broken. James was livid. (I have to admit I was too but was calmer than James.  But that's usually how James and I tag-team. One of us has to be calmer and rational. 95% of the time I'm the crazy, yelling, threatening one and he's the voice of reason, but not this time!)

After hearing it from James he came in to my office and told me how sorry he was. Keep in mind, Alex rarely apologizes without me reminding/prompting/requiring him too. So this was big. 

I knew he felt bad. 

I know he didn't know what he was doing but this is just why we have not allowed him on the computer. I thought getting him on the KSL sight was pretty safe. 

Wrong-o.

I told him I accepted his apology but he'd have to pay for this item to make things right. He promptly gave me his last $15 dollars and we set up a chart to document each time he makes a payment. I explained how eBay works and then sent him off to his bath

After his bath he came down all bleary eyed asked if we could talk in private. He sat me down in my office and with eyes brimming with tears he suggested that we make a rule that he doesn't get on computer because he doesn't know what he's doing. 

I almost fell of my chair.
I told him that was probably a good idea and talked to him about how if he had only asked and communicated we could have helped him with this. That we have helped the other children place bids and pay for things. He just needs to communicate. 
I then asked if he would still like me to hold him? He threw himself in my arms and sobbed "But I hurt your feelings!"  Oh, be still my heart. Is this boy actually getting it? Luckily he couldn't see my beaming smile as I held him and told him that the fact that he feels so bad and said sorry and is trying to make things right, makes my feelings feel better already. Everything will be okay.

We both learned something last night. 

He learned what a bid was, how binding it is and hopefully to COMMUNICATE with his parents before ever doing something like this again.

I learned not to save my user name and password on my PC and that Alex - after years of talks and rants about being truthful, saying sorry, hurting feelings is getting it! 

By George.....he's getting it!