Adult stuff

We were about to walk out the door this morning.

"But Mooooom, wait." Josh headed back to the kitchen to grab the fundraiser flyer for their magazine sales. The school has a big rally, of course, to tell all the kids about the fundraiser (the only one the school has) which is magazine renewals and new subscriptions. I will just renew the subscriptions that I have and be done with it. I like easy stuff like that. I"m not buying cookie dough, candy, or any junk I don't need (not that I need magazines, but I want them and NOW it's for my childrens' benefit that I do buy them! I love reasoning things out. Don't you?)

So, I explain to him that it doesn't have to be turned in until tomorrow. It's okay not to turn it in today. He tried to reason with me.

Did you read it?

No.

I did. It's not due until tomorrow. And, with that, I start walking back out the door.

Again, "...but, MOOoOOOOOoOOoOoOoOoOm"

I walk in the kitchen, pull the blasted sheet out that I READ YESTERDAY which clearly said that the one portion he's referring to is NOT due until tomorrow. Then, I jump his butt about trying to reason and negotiate with me. I'm reading the material. He didn't. He needs to just shut up. Right?

Then we get in the car and I stop two doors down to pick up the girls we carpool with.

"We're not taking them today," he says.

"Yes, we are."

"No, we're not taking them today."

We don't say "shut up" in this house but let me tell you, I was [ ] close TO telling him to just shut up. It's annoying to have someone continually sit there and contradict everything you say and do because they are completely uninformed. HE doesn't know the schedule. HE isn't conversing with the mom. HE IS CLUELESS. So why is he bugging the crap out of ME for stuff HE OBVIOUSLY doesn't know anything about? Seriously, it's annoying.

So, after picking them up -- much to his surprise. I proceeded to tell him that the girls will ride with us this morning because this is our week to TAKE them to school. However, their mom will not be picking up MY TWO this afternoon because generally, on Tuesdays and Thursdays her daughters to go "Kids Club" (after school care at the school) which means that MY TWO won't have a ride home UNLESS I go pick them up.

And, I thought that would be the end of it.

"But, Mom, you can't pick us up!"

??? Now, I'm really interested in this logic.

"I can't? Why?"

"Because you don't have a sign. You gave your sign to Mrs. Zachmeyer."

The school went to signs in the dash of the last names of children so they know which cars they go to. They're all in a certain font, so the school knows what child belongs to what vehicle. I take a deep breath and say to my oldest child, "Well, Josh, I can pick you up because I have a sign too. We were provided with two signs."

Then, it hit me to quit being such a butt hole to my kid with my tone. Although, the ridiculousness of the entire conversation was annoying and trying on my patience (because I can't STAND to be second guessed by a KID when I know what's going on and he doesn't) I realized that he just wanted to be "in the know" on what was going on concerning HIM.

I took a minute to give myself an attitude adjustment and grabbed him on the shoulder and rubbed it a little (I mean, I AM driving while this is taking place) and said, "You really don't need to worry about all this "adult" stuff, you know? I told you I'd pick you up. I'll pick you up. Whatever I needed to do to make that happen, I would. That's something you don't even need to be concerned about for a second. So, chill out. You're too young to stress about these trivial things. If I tell you something, you know my word is as good as gold. If I say it's not due, there's a reason that I know that it's not due. If I say that we're taking the girls, we're taking the girls. If I say that I'm picking you up. I'm picking you up. Don't argue with me and just leave it at that. I know that you, don't like to have what you say second guessed and I'm no different. Especially three or four times in a row...

He realized what he'd done. We both let it go.

I'm glad that I had a few seconds to give myself an attitude adjustment so that I didn't send him off on his way to school in a bad mood.

BUT NOW -- a shameless plug -- If anyone wants to renew or subscribe to any magazines, let me know! Since I have TWO kids selling the same fundraiser, our resources are cut in half since we'll only hit the grand parentals up by one kid. I'd be appreciative if you'd buy/renew through my boys if you're in the market to do so.