the mistakes we make.

Gee, its been a while.
Hard to belive that my herd of mo-rons hasnt done anything blog worthy lately. And yes, mo-rons run in herds. Oh, you can find one out there alone everyonce in a while. But they are not inclined to do something totally stupid with out a group or herd to egg them on.

BUT, the truth of the matter is, they have been homebound for about a week. school and then home. And no playing outside. First it was because of the MOUNTAIN of laundry that they drug out of their room. THey had to wash it all. (a week later and there is still about 3 loads), 2nd because they havent actually cleaned their room. They have stacked things up. in piles that are threatening to tumble over at any second. Trapping and possibly maiming small animals, unsuspecting children, and ME.

and then in the later part of the week, it decided to rain. Not a nice spring rainshower. A nasty coldfront, with lots of hard rain. Which I refuse to complain about. My taters needed it. And Uncle Gerald just got my beans and corn in the ground. He plants earlier than I prefer. I dont like to plant till Good Friday. But he is old. and Bored. So, he planted.

Bow is becoming interested in the toilet. not the way he HAS been interested, but he has added that he likes to take off his diaper and sit on it. And he takes off his diaper to pee in the floor.

I am NOT ready to potty train. THe kid cant or wont talk yet. AND he still loves to play IN the toilet. Putting things in to see if they will float, draging things out. And NO, I dont encourage this behaviour. But I do catch him at it from time to time. He can open all the doors in the house. So there is really not much stopping him. And even the best mommy (which I am NOT) has to pee or cook or clean every once in a while.

Rayley did get to go to daycare this week. She was THRILLED! There is a little girl up there that she adores. She is a little older than Bow and Rayley has decided she would make the perfect sister. She would like me to get one like her. I would be scared of getting pregnant again. Because my kids have this inane ability to wish for a sibling and I end up pregnant, BUT I am putting my trust in Cutting, Tying and Burning. Please no horror stories about that miraculiously growing back.

We got progress reports this week. Matt has one B. BRett has a 67 in Launguage. and a 70 something in Reading. Come to find out, its because of AR. AR is where they pick books, have the kids read them, and then they take a test. They get points for their right answers, and at our school the PTA (somehow that stands for Pam and Michelle. We are the only ones who really do it all-but I wont get off on that rant) supplies a store full of goodies for the kids to 'spend' their points on. LIke cash.
Well, my kids are seasoned to think that they deserve something, for everything they do. Since Tests and pesky class work doesnt give points, He is more interested in reading a book and aquiring these points.

Well, I had to work the store. Which I did. BUT, when I found out WHY Brett was failing. -He rushes through his work, not actually double checking it, or rushes through a test, not finishing the back page, so he can read another book.- I forbid him to read anymore. AND took away Baseball.
Well, BR was home, so he is the one who brought up taking away baseball. Which I am completely behind. During my tirade I also told them that they were NOT to request ANY money for ANYTHIN else. EVER. When we pick the garden this year, DONT ask me for a dime. When I tell you to clean your room, dont ask what its worth. I explained that the roof over their head, food in their bellies, and clothes on their backs was payment enough. NOT to mention all the running I do for baseball. We skipped an important step in raising them. So, I am going back to basics. As little kids, I would give them 'jobs' and pay them. I thought it would give them a good work ethic. I was wrong. It made them crave money. And when they would get it for birthday or Christmas, or a buck just because grandpa wanted to, it showed them they didnt always have to work for it.
I hope its not too late to change them. They need to learn that you do things you dont want to do, for things other than money sometimes. I mean I dont get a dime for wiping their dirty butts for years. or snotty noses. And we wont even discuss when they puke everywhere.

At school they also get points for going to the music concert to 'spend' in class, and put in a drawing for bringing their parents to public school week. Other classes get points for finishing work, to buy more crap, and for being good all week.

When I was in school, We didnt get points for NOT getting your name on the board, we got our butts whooped FOR getting it on there. It was quite effective. Now we pay them to do the RIGHT thing.

Of course as I sit here right now, the boys are doing one of their baskets of laundry with gusto, because BR told them to hurry and they could go out and shoot their bows.

Matt did ask this morning how much I was going to pay him if he got the laundry finished and folded today. Then I looked at him sideways and he realized my threat from yesterday. He just looked at me. Gave me that crooked smile and said "awww mom, your love is enough."

I didnt buy it.

Honestly, I have not ever paid them for every little thing. Really I havent. But, its pushed down their throats on such a constant basis, family, their friends talking about it, and the school paying them to DO schoolwork, that they just EXPECT it.

I really dont know if homeschooling isnt a valid answer to all that I am dealing with?

Oh and I am ready for it to warm up enough at night to put my older chickens out. I am TIRED of the smell. Chickens STINK. BADLY. At this age they do 2 things. Eat and get rid of it. So they can eat more.
Oh and water. ALOT of water.

I am debating on putting them in the coop for the day, just to see how they like it.

I will close with a perfect example of Hoovers HIA syndrome.
I had taken their load of laundry out of the dryer, and brought it in here. Sat it downand said "fold and hang these up"
Then I went tomake donuts. (yes. I even make them. They aint light and fluffy, but they are there. Sweet and gooey and fried. I dont own can biscuts, so we make do with my biscut recipe. )

Well, we got done, I came in here and had said twice that they needed to finish the load.

Matt was sitting on the edge of the couch-he'd been holding a pair of jeans for about 10 minutes, looking lost. So I said
"Hoov, if your done with your load of laundry, put on your shoes and go outside."
His face lit up. He jumped up. Threw the clean jeans on the floor and ran around gathering up his boots out of my living room floor. (which was also on their chore list. TO get their CRAP out of my livingroom floor)

BR and I looked at each other. THen BR said "Matt, do you think you are actually SUPPOSED to go outside?"
"well, it aint rainin and mom said I could"
"Matt, think about it. when has your mom ever just offered for you to go and play outside, and she did have the smartass tone that we should all know so well"
"btu she said"
"yes, what exactly DID she say? Repeat it word for word"
"uhhh... hoov, get your boots and go outside... so I was."
"what ELSE did she say?"
this is where we get the blank look...
Finally he thinks.... real hard.. you could see the pain this caused.

"ohhhh... she said 'if your chores are done, go and get your boots'.."
"right... adn DID you get your chores done?"
"oh, well, I thought she meant if I was DONE wanting to do my chores, then I could go outside."
"Hoover, when has this EVER been the way it works?"
"well we go outside all the time with out doing our chores when your home"

And here is Rayley's 'DUH moment ' of the day.

She walked in here crying, holding her head. So Brett is behind her.
"she was walking backwards and hit her head on the wall that sticks out"
"Rayley"
"yes ma'am?"
"has that wall ALWAYS been there?"
"yes..." (she is in the 'forgetting ma'am stage..)
"so, how did you hit it?"
"I dont know"
"did it just jump out and get in your way?"
"yes ma'am"
"rayley, you and I both know that you had your head in your rear and backed into the wall, therefor its NOT the walls fault that you have a bump on your head. You need to go and appologize to the wall"
"mooom, your so silly"
So I kissed it better, told her to pay more attention and get ready to go outside.

Then she ran into her dad. And started to rub her head and say it was hurting. Turning on the tears.
"what did you do?"
"NOTHING!"
"What did the boys do?" Cause we ALL know its always their fault...
"NOTHING!" "oh well, Brett hasnt finished the laundry yet"
"thats not what I meant, snitch. What did you do to your head?"
"NOTHING, I done told ya!!" she said with a stomp of her foot "the dang old wall jumped out and hit me in the back of the head, THEN, jumped back"
"is that right?"
"YEESSSS, and mom actually wants ME to appologize to the wall!"
"well maybe you should, cause then it might not jump out and hit you again"
"oh... "

Now we are on a quest to find their mud boots. We will find them sometime next week. When I find another corner of their room they 'forgot' to clean..