Playing catch up

This has been a very difficult and busy week for us. On Monday, I thought I would treat the kids and take them to the library after work/school. Lindsay was especially excited because it was finally time to get her very own library card. The whole time I'm standing there getting her card with the guy (all the people who work at the Surprise library are volunteers, so they're all old retirees, and this guy really couldn't hear a word. He kept misspelling Lindsay. First Limbsay, then Linbsay, finally getting it right. But I didn't know he was misspelling it each time, so he would look at me and go, are you sure, this doesn't look right.) she's being a pest. Finally she gets her card and we go over to the kid section where the other two are and I start directing her to the Junie B Jones books, which she loves. They even had a few that she didn't have yet. But no, then she spies Hannah Montanna, and it's over. Sigh. At least they were chapter books, right? Anyway, she's picking out her books, and Bailey comes up with a stack of six or seven books to ask how many she can check out. And this is the same day she had library at school and picked out two books there too. So she was a little bummed that I only let her get three. I had to promise to take her back this weekend if she's finished them (which she might...five books, five days. That sounds like Bailey). Then I go over to see what Cole's got and almost laugh. He's got picture books. Lindsay is all hyped up to check out chapter books and Cole's got picture books. I was able to persuade him to get chapter books when we found the Hardy Boys books and Star Wars books. Oh, and one of the Star Wars books is a choose your own adventure, so he's in absolute heaven now, he won't put it down. And since he's grounded now (I'll get there), it's a good thing he has something to read. Since the kids were ok, I went off to get my books, and then figured we could leave. Boy was that a mistake. Lindsay has been very tired from first grade, and lately her deal is that her legs are so tired that she can't get up on her own. Sometimes I help her, but there are other times when I'm just not in the mood (after listening to her whining about how long it took to get her library card perhaps), or, you know, have my hands full of books (no idea where Bailey gets it from). So she starts to throw a fit that I won't help her up. Loudly. As if Lindsay would ever throw a quiet fit. She's standing there screaming at me. And of course half the library turns to see what's going on. So I'm very quietly trying to get her to be quiet, and it's not working. She gets louder. At this point, the whole library is looking at me, and the security guard comes over to see what's going on. I was so embarrassed and livid like you wouldn't believe! So I tell them all to put down their books as we walk out. Outside, where I don't care if she screams, I give Bailey and Cole their library cards and let them go back in to get their books (and then I sent Bailey back in to get mine--I like having a ten year old!). At this point, Lindsay's so upset, and she wants her books, so she keeps trying to hug me and tell me she's sorry (but before you start getting warm hearted over it, this is her SOP, she throws a fit, says she's sorry and hugs me without meaning it or learning anything). This time I was so upset, I just kept pushing her away and telling her she needed to let Mommy cool off. If we were at home, I would have given myself a time out. She finally did calm down, and we were able to have a talk about appropriate library behavior and how even when she misbehaves I still love her (she was very concerned about that). I'm sure I could have handled the situation better, but I was proud of myself for not even raising my voice (even outside) or manhandling her in any way. So maybe next time she'll behave herself because I know she's really sad she didn't get to check out books.

Wednesday, we took Cole to a karate studio nearby and signed him up. We had to make a commitment for a year, but he's really excited. He has done a few classes through the school but he really wants to earn his belts and advance, so we figured we'd better take him to an actual studio for that. We were impressed that this place expects him to put his discipline into practice at home too, not just for karate. In order to be tested to the next belt, he has to achieve six belt loops, and a couple of them at least have to be that he's doing well at home and at school, so we like that. So now he's doing karate twice a week, and his little buddy from school was in his class, so that's cool too.

Thursday Cole decided to give me a run for my money. He's been having a problem lately with telling me he's going to go ride his bike and then going into a friend's house without telling us. We had just had a talk about discipline, and he wants to go ride his bike. About an hour later, Lindsay goes down to the park and comes back telling me she can't find Cole. So I go walk down the street but I don't see his bike at his buddy's house or at either neighborhood park. So I get in the car and drive over to his other buddy's house (which is in another neighborhood across a bigger street), and sure enough, his bike is outside. So he's grounded for the next week. We were going to have him go to karate Thursday night since he's supposed to go twice a week, but we decided that he needed to not go the rest of this week now. Oh, and this is on top of that morning. My bedroom door happened to be open because the dog was being a butt in the middle of the night, so really early in the morning when the kids are supposed to be getting ready for school, I hear Cole tell Lindsay to shut the fing door. So he was busted on that one too. I think he figured I wouldn't hear him so he was safe.

Finally, last night Bailey started a hip hop dance class at a nearby dance studio. She was so excited to go, but I think she's changed her mind now that she's started. This is the first dance class that she's ever taken, and I think the other girls in the class have dance experience, so she was a little frustrated. But I had warned her before she started that if I was going to pay the class fee and the registration fee, she had to stick with it for at least three months. I think that's long enough for you to say that she's given it a really good shot and getting past the initial frustration. And I think each week will be a little better. Lindsay is going to do cheer (this is me so not excited!) at the same dance studio on Monday nights too. So our normally busy life is becoming downright chaotic. I'm hoping that it will make for some well rounded kids, though.