Well, my oldest son got a lesson in anger management today…Youngest wanted to watch a movie…Oldest wanted to watch videos on computer…Youngest was already watching a movie…I tell oldest to get headphones or turn the volume off…He didn’t like that idea…So, I told him to get off the computer completely…He wanted to argue, fight and scream about how I didn’t love him as much as his brother…I told him simply this, “I am done, I do not have to argue with you, go outside”…
Well, I didn’t know what occurred but when my hubby got home, he came into the house and asked who broke the plastic chair…I assumed it was my oldest because I had kicked him outside earlier…He did admit to it…He said, it was an accident…He also said, “I was mad, so I hit the chair with a stick”…Immediately, I told him he owed me $1.00 because that is how much the chair cost me…
Again, more arguing, explaining and screaming…I say, “it doesn’t matter why, it matters what you did and how you did it”…I tell him he is always able to walk and/or run his energy/anger out in the back yard…He is also able to take sticks to the large trees in the back yard…He still insists on arguing…I ask him to leave me alone until he wants to listen…He comes down 15 minutes later with 4 quarters and throws them on the floor at my feet…
I quickly insist he pick them up and go to his room…I told him, I appreciate him wanting to pay me but I will not take his payment with a bad attitude…He returns to his room…
He goes about his day and I no longer mention another word to him about the payment or incident…Still, he has an attitude but he is keeping it to himself…His frustration now…Is not because he did not get his way…It is because he did something wrong and he does not want to lose his hard earn money…
Several hours later he comes to me with red swollen eyes from crying and asks…Are you still mad at me…I explain to him, I was never mad…I was disappointed in your behavior…I hug and kiss him and tell him I still love him…Then, I ask him this…”If daddy or I get frustrated in a store and decide to throw something and it breaks? Who is responsible for paying for that broken something?” He responds, “you”…I tell him, “It is the exact same for you. You were frustrated and broke something of mine. You are responsible for paying for it.” He nods his head and agreement and moves on to do his own thing…
As far as me getting paid back…This is an issue, I will deal with between us when no other sibling is around…I try to make sure when a child is discipline for something to this extent that it should be done and private…Siblings can be cruel sometimes and they never forget anything…Thank You God for giving me the patience to be a strong but teaching mother in this moment…
Good news though…My oldest son has been struggling for weeks to complete his church weekly (a handout given at church for the children to write, think and ask questions about their lesson through the week)…Most of the time he forgets about it till 11 in the evening on Saturday…Although, I have given him reminders throughout the week and even made him a daily schedule…Still, the weekly does not get completed…Then he gets frustrated because he forgot again…A cycle has begun with this…Tonight though, when it was time for the kids to go upstairs and have quiet time…He asks me to help him with his weekly…I explain to him, like I have many times before…To sit in his bed with his Bible and take his time…Answer everything you can on your own and then come down and ask for help…He agreed and headed upstairs…30 minutes later he comes downstairs and says, with much excitement and joy gleaming from his face, “Mom, I did it, I finished it all by myself…Will you please sign it.” Thank You God that he had the confidence to complete his weekly and do it all by himself…
More Good news…Since, my washer was not working…I had a load of laundry that needed done…I know first hand what happens when I let the laundry pile up…So, I did some research on Google and came across some ideas…I did my first load of organic/green laundry today…
- Fill my bathtub with a little detergent and 1 cup of baking soda…
- Put clothes in bathtub and let sit for 20-30 minutes…
- Take a clean/new plunger and agitate the clothes myself…This is building up strength and toning my arms at the same time…
- Then, drain the water…
- Fill tub up with cold water and 1 cup of vinegar (soften clothes)…Agitate again…
- Drain tub and fill up again with water and agitate…
- Drain Tub and wring clothes out…
- Hang out on clothes line to dry…Hubby hung up my clothes line today for me…
- Clothes are now clean and dry…
Thank You God for Google searches…Thank You God for the water and tub I have…Thank You God for my hubby hanging up my clothes line…Thank You God for me having the strength to do this…
Well, after doing all this…Hubby and I learned my washer is not broken…It need a new clutch…It is able to fill up, agitate and drain but it was not spinning all the time, therefore leaving my clothes soaking wet sometimes or damp others…
With the help of more Google searches…We learned how to replace the clutch on our washer and the part is around $20.00 to replace…We have fixed our dryer before, we think we can handle this…Thank You God for my washer being fixable and our desire to learn how to do it ourselves…
That is my day…Lots of blessing and thanks today…I am learning more and more…Every day, is an opportunity to see even the tiniest of blessings and thanks to be found…Sometimes though, you just have to look harder than others to see them…
My Mighty and Powerful Heavenly Father…God, you still surprise me with your ways…They may seem like a mess sometimes, but after searching my hearts and quieting my spirit…I realize they are not what they seem…Everything you allow in my life, is a blessing and learning opportunity…
2 Chronicles 1:11-12 NIV says, God said to Solomon, “Since this is you heart’s desire and you have not asked for wealth, riches or honor, no for the death of your enemies, and since you have not asked for a long life but for wisdom and knowledge to govern my people over whom I have made you king, therefore wisdom and knowledge will be given you. And I will also give you wealth, riches and honor, such as no king who was before you ever had and none after you will have.”
This verse makes me seriously consider the importance of many of my prayer requests…Am I asking God to make me better or asking him to make my stuff bigger and better???
