One sore butt

It's Wednesday, July 23rd and if it, being my brain, hadn't completely left me before this week.... it's gone now. I swore up and down.... left and right that JR would be forced to bend to my rule within 2 days, so that the remainder of the week could be fun.

Well last night he had a run-in with a switch (fly swatter handle). He's 4 yrs old and that's the first time I did more than tap his bottom with my hand. I think it startled both of us, but I was tired of talking and he was determined to have his way. There wasn't anything funny about it, but I really should have gotten a picture of him eating and holding his stinging butt. Since it took almost two hours for him to eat his dinner, when he was done.... on went the pj's and he was sent directly to bed.... alone.

Well, it's only 6am and he's gotten his revenge..... I still can't feel my left arm.

Actually, it wasn't revenge at all.... sometime around 2am I hear this almost whispered... "gramps".... open my eyes to a 4 yr old standing by my bed and he asks me, "Can I sleep with you Gramps? I'm cold" So in he crawled and promptly fell asleep..... on my now numb arm.

Apparently my big bully show the evening before didn't change the fact that he's a sweetheart to his core. I guess I'm suffering some sort of internal conflict. I was raised to sit quiet and still and eat ALL my dinner, or suffer something more terrible than death. Of course we never ever figured out what that was exactly, but we weren't going to risk finding out.

JR had eaten his breakfast... eaten his lunch, but refused to eat his dinner. He kept using excuses that had been put in his head like... my tummy is full, It's hot, I don't like this, I'll eat two more bites and then I'm done. I DO NOT MAKE DEALS with a 4 yr old, and the rest of his world needs to stop doing it as well. I know why he didn't want to eat... he had been playing with his trains and wanted to continue. I'm not sure how long I have him this time.... 1 or 2 weeks, but I refuse to just let him get away with really bad behavior just because he's only here for such a short period of time. I guess there are those who fear he'll decide he doesn't like them if they correct him. I don't really care what he thinks right now. It's when he's 17 and about to beat up his mouthy girlfriend that I want him to remember that someone taught him right from wrong.

I don't want him to be sitting in jail and reflecting on what I told him. If I am to be honest, I must admit he comes from a long line of "breakin the law" genes..... on both sides. Good ole DownCounty... the series.... coming soon to a drive-in near you.

He's my first and who knows... he may be the last, grandson. I want him to know what the right thing to do IS, and not just learn to give empty apologies afterwards. He's already proficient at batting those eye lashes when he says how deeply sorry he is for hitting you, or for breaking the glass you told him not to touch, or hitting the cat you told him to leave alone.

I'm DONE listening to his apologies, because I know, if I continue to just listen, ultimately the one saying how sorry he is will be me. Either when he's in prison or worse, dead.

Now you might say I'm over-reacting, and I need to let a child be a child, but in my experience.... and I do have some, his type of behavior is not acceptable.

Right now, there's just a thin line between teaching him to sit still in his time-out chair and needing to dial 911 for assistance. I'd prefer not to call the Po Po.

It's funny just how smart and manipulative he is. Well, not funny, but it amuses me just the same, because he thinks he's out smarting ME...... the Master of Manipulation!!

He's obviously unaware that I'm the one who taught his mother, and I learned from the best..... a Catholic Mother.

I know our days could be filled with laughter and exciting trips and adventures, but life happens and he needs to learn to be patient. Not always, will he get to do what he wants when he wants to do it. Sometimes he'll have to go places and do things that are boring in order to appreciate something exciting when it comes along. After spending a week with my 3 nieces, I have to say this and I know Tina will have a choice comment or two, BUT.......

Emergency bathroom issues are so much easier to handle with boys!!!

Right now he's still asleep.... on my pillow, and I'm sure his little brain is dreaming up all kinds of things. I can't wait to see if one sore butt might equal one day of good behavior. I hope so.