She's BACK

Well, things have slipped just a little bit too much..... you know, you let up, stop focusing on the little things, and then they start skipping this and forgetting that and pretty soon they are lulled into a slumber where they don't feel as though they have a mother and then

suddenly

She's BACK!

They aren't happy but I'm not backing down. And I'm finding, like yesterday, that once I draw my line, they have their fit but then recover and do what they are supposed to do.

The threat of losing the privilege of using our vehicle and having to walk to work seems to be making a difference to Rand. He is starting to pay attention. It's only about a mile and a half and all down hill (I'd even pick him up if he lost it the first time) but he hates to move.

He is supposed to be working for us in exchange for room and board. Now, before you roll your eyes at my ever-so-ridiculous expectation for my 20 year old, please realize that if he works at his job for 40 hours a week, then he doesn't have to do anything else. But if he is only scheduled for 32 he has to work for 8 for us. This can include errands, cleaning, giving rides, shopping, etc.

But he refuses to do it. He avoids me, sits around, hides from me... would be hilarious if he were a two year old, but since he is 6'6" and weighs about 375, it isn't quite as funny some days. Kinda hard to hide too. So the daily battles continued. Until this week. I am making him a list. I am putting how long each item needs to take. If that item is not done by that time, then he does not get to drive to work. So far it's working.

Tony is home, got back last night.. Tony has been with my mother-in-law for 3 weeks and she is tough ... and he worked hard for her -- mowing, cutting wood, hauling gravel -- and earned lots of money. I know her work ethic and I know that she worked his butt off. And she reported that he never had to cry once. This morning he went into a crying sobbing fit when I asked him to put his stuff away and clean up his room. It was so hard. He just couldn't do it. That's why he hates being home because I make him do such hard stuff... back to being four. So I decided to try her style and told him to "quit his bawling." Eventually he did and got the room done.

Ricardo decided to blow off his dishes last night, so I woke him up at 8:15 and said nobody who doesn't do their dishes around here gets to sleep in. Go do them now. He is unhappily doing his dishes.

I know they were happy that I was preoccupied and couldn't crack down. And now they are Not happy at all that I'm back....

But that's OK. They'll get used to it.