Yesterday was a day of realizations.
About Tember.
Also the title can apply to Loki and I will include a bit of an update on my cutie patootie.
I always have difficulty around this time of the year.
It hits me that my baby is growing up.
And I grapple with all that entails.
I have been nagging so much this week.
Constantly on Tember to do his chores.
To clean up after himself.
To take the garbage out.
The list goes on and on and on.
Tember says I have been yelling.
I have not.
Speaking sternly? Yes.
Yelling? No.
Tember has been staying up late despite my repeated admonishments and reminders about early bedtimes and school.
I have begun banging on his door and going in to wake him.
Yesterday I did the grocery shop and was back home by 9. Which is when I began to try to awaken him.
Threw his Old Spice arm pit stuff and teeth flossers on his chest. Eyes flew open.
I am not sleeping.
I cleaned cat litter boxes.
Put away the groceries.
Washed the dishes.
By now it is just after 10.
I go into his room and awaken him for what is the 1000th time.
I am not sleeping.
I informed Tember pulling him into seated position (he gave me his hand to pull him up) I was going in to have my shower.
He had approximately 15 minutes because by the time I got out of the shower the garbage had better be taken down.
He assured me that it would be.
And then I upped the ante.
I informed him that I was tired of attempting to get him to do his chores so if the garbage was not taken out by the time I was out of bathroom no gaming time.
There will now be consequences.
He understood.
Or so he said.
I get out of the shower and do all that that entails.
I come out of the bathroom and sure enough Tember is laying down.
Like a harridan I screeched at him causing him to jump. (Tember would say that I sounded horrible…..I just say suck it up buttercup)
This is when it got interesting.
I repeated to Tember that he now had no gaming time.
Consequences.
Garbage had not been taken out.
He blinked at me like I was a monster.
We went back and forth a little and I wavered a bit telling him I would give him an additional 5 minutes to get the garbage out. But the bags were heavy he might want to make two trips.
Sitting on the couch sipping my much needed and deserved coffee I listened to Tember grousing.
4 minutes.
More grousing.
3 minutes.
Tember comes storming out and proceeds to start trying to kick his feet into his sandals which then bangs against the cat carrier which hits the wall and the door is rattling.
First sandal no problem. Crash. Bang.
Second sandal….foot would not go in.
Foot would not co-operate and sandal ended up behind him.
He turns around and kicks sandal on.
I again suggest that he take two trips as the bags were heavy.
Slam.
Door closed.
When he comes back in he is groaning.
His ankles.
His knees.
They hurt.
I asked if all the garbage was taken down.
No!
I was so mean.
He hurt himself walking to the garbage can.
How could I expect him to do things when he first woke up? (Remember I have been going in there approximately every 10 minutes to awaken him)
I shook my head.
All that was left were the two empty boxes of cat litter so I grabbed them and walked myself down to the garbage can.
Jay (I said to myself) Tember has been with his dad for two weeks. And even the week after he was there not here. You two are out of synch and he has not had to do any chores. You two need to get back into the groove. (Sometimes me can be smrt)
When I returned I poked my head into Tember’s room and suggested that maybe we should start to take walks. Take pictures. That he was going to have to realize that he would be walking home every week he was with me. That he needed to strengthen his legs and knees.
It’s only because I was walking really fast. And the bags were really heavy.
I did suggest that you make two trips. That the bags were going to be heavy.
Yeah I know.
But you were mad at me and wanted to prove a point?
Yeah.
What is the moral of this story?
You should not expect me to do things when I first wake up?
No. How about when mom tells you that the bags are heavy and you should make two trips that I might know what I am talking about?
Those bags were heavy mom. Like 50 lbs or more.
Tember…..they were not that heavy.
Like 15 or 20 than.
Tember I use to carry you around all the time when you weighed 20lbs. You could not walk lol I carried you everywhere.
What type of freak are you mom? What do you do that you can carry that much weight around?
I only had to ask once about the dishes being put away.
He also got up and moved the cat bowls around.
Trying to keep Thomas from eating Loki’s food and Loki from eating everyone else’s food.
Loki is adorable.
A little odd but adorable.
Toilet bowl water watching is still his favorite activity.
He loves to cuddle me.
Curls up on my chest while I am typing or reading emails.
Head under chin.
Middle of the night he climbs under blanket and curls up….his head under my chin.
Sleeps on the back of the couch and stretches out so he is touching me.
I have had pets all my life.
This though is the first time that I have ever had one chose me.
Tember I think is a little miffed but he also carries Loki around as though he were a machine gun and firing him.
So there is that.
Doing the spray bottle to deter from bad behaviour.
I have one of my plants on the floor now instead of on a table.
Every time Loki or Thomas or Lucky went near yesterday I squirted them.
When I got up this morning my plant stood upon a clean unsoiled part of the carpet. Success was had.
Both of my little boys are growing fast.
Tember went to Co-op as it was getting dark.
Right next door.
I had to bite my tongue to not say be careful.
I have been letting him go for walks.
Tember not Loki.
But when I have gotten concerned and messaged as to where he is…..no answer.
That is one thing that we are going to be working on.
I only have 5 grey/white hairs……Vanity is thy name…..I do not want any more.
Have an awesome Sunday loves.
©Sept. 6/20
Picture is my own
Like this:
Like Loading...
The Wonderful and Wacky World of One Single Mom 