Feb. 11

I am titling this post with the day because it;s not really about anything in particular just the last couple of days. I have been having small victories with Blake. Yesterday he didn't want to do his math homework and as usual it turned into way more of a big deal than it needed to be. The kids had the day off from school because of weather and he thought he should get off scott free from schoolwork but it was still a monday and I have a weekly homework packet so I didn't want him to get behind. Twenty minutes on his reading website that is not his favorite set him up to fight me tooth and nail over math. It was ONE PAGE of subtraction problems. In a previous post I talked about how I had heard that you should ADD busywork to a boy's bad behavior because taking things away doesn't seem to matter to them and I have found that true of Blake. So then he had TWO pages of math and you can guess how that went over. I tried to send him to his room for his rudeness but he refused to go. Well I am over physically hauling him up the stairs and since this is the year of no yelling that wasn't an option either so. . . I pulled him off the chair close to me and calmly told him (while he was screeching with his hands over his ears because he didn't want to listen to me) that he had two options: do the homework or not have video games for a week. Now in a way this is reverting to taking things away but I had already added a task and he is only six so I didn't want to overwhelm him. The choice put the power in his hands, he could choose NOT to do the math but that meant that HE was choosing no games. It was not a punishment but his choice. Of course he chose the math. All of this while Isaac is running amok through the house and trinity who also need help is forced to wait because I just can't divide my attention like that when dealing with a behavior issue. At night the children have been fighting when brushing their teeth, they just can't keep their hands to themselves and one of them always gets hurt. So they lost video games today because of fighting last night. This too Blake freaked about when I reminded him this morning and between then and now I heard about 1,000 requests for games but I held firm. I hope all this effort is making a difference. I have talked just once to him about honoring (respecting) me but that is going to have to be an ongoing conversation. When I told him he wouldn't dare treat his teachers like that and why is it okay to act like that with me his comeback is that Mrs. Heinz is mean. Ha! I'm glad she is a tough teacher, she has to be with 17 boys in her class and only a few girls. Talk about unruly. Trinity bless her heart is just SWAMPED with homework. Tonight other than gymnastics and twenty minutes for snack she did nothing but homework and didn't even get her reading done. I am just so proud of the effort she puts in. It's difficult because she has such terrible focus that she will take three times longer than needed to accomplish just one page of math problems but at the same time I hate to be breathing down her neck constantly saying she's not going fast enough blah blah blah. I MUST figure out a way to hurry her but encourage her. Yikes. I'm thankful today for her beautiful smile. I looked in the rear view mirror at her on the way to gymnastics and was watching her and her brother's and I'm just amazed at how beautiful she is. Today I feel good. It started out sad when my neighbor couldn't go with me to IKEA. I was really looking forward to visiting with her on the way. I couldn't fit any of my friends with kids because I needed some of the seats down so it was just me and Isaac and I was a little lonely but it was a beautiful day and it was nothing coffee and retail therapy (and a little prayer on the drive) couldn't handle. Then it was lunch with Jeremy and then out for a run with Isaac in the stroller, the kids got home and that was that. Oh and one more quick note, Trinity has been praying for some communication from her world vision girls and in sunday school they are talking about faith. Well yesterday we received a picture from Bhavani in India. God is good and giving proof of himself to my children. Thank the Lord for answered prayers no matter how simple. Press on Mommas, press on!