Yee Haw!

We survived Day 1! Yee Haw! I say that because our VBS theme this year is Rodeo Roundup. Angie’s daughters are going with us each night. Our kids are great friends but they spend so much time together they argue just like brothers and sisters. By now they are used to me putting my foot down when I have just had ‘too much’ fighting. I ordered Maddie to do jumping jacks just like Stephen does one day. She was stunned and refused. Then the first time she wanted in the pool, I insisted on the jumping jacks she owed me. Ha! Really though Maddie and Makenna are great girls.
Stephen has been on a good track (don’t say it too loud)… Today he was up in arms over Maddie bringing a girlfriend over to swim with us. I sat him down and told him it was silly to make a big deal over it. I warned him he would spend his time in his bedroom if he ‘carried on’ about Makyla. She still isn’t here but already Stephen is talking in a good way about the experience, trying to prevent a problem before it occurs. PROGRESS!!!! Still we will have to see if it plays out like he is planning. Cross your fingers.
Friendship is still one area that Stephen can’t seem to get a grasp on. All the restrictions on his life don’t help matters but that is just one of the problems. There are several kids on our street but they live down the block, far out of my eyesight. Unfortunately I can’t trust Stephen to go down there by himself yet. He is 11 going on 12 but he just doesn’t consistently follow rules. Other kids his age ride bikes and go several blocks from home. I just don’t trust Stephen in someone else’s house or even in their yard. Maybe I am waaaay over protective. Please make suggestions, I will listen. I desperately want Stephen to have normal kid experiences. Angie’s girls understand the rules and so we end up spending a lot of time with them, but that is not the same as being with boys his own age.
Saturday I let Stephen ride down the street on his bike to invite a neighbor boy to our house. He wasn’t in town. Sunday he went again. This time the boy was swimming and said ‘maybe tomorrow’ . Yesterday Stephen went to ask him up and he didn’t want to come. Go figure.
We do have a few friends from church he can ask over this summer and one friend from school. My hope is a few of those experiences this summer will help him be ready to go fulltime to school next fall.
Landon is one day away from not peeing on the flooor or carpet for one week. Yes he is 4 and has been potty trained for about a year but he has this really bad anger probem. I believe he has been peeing in various places as a kind of revenge. Most of the peeing has been in his bedroom. Three weeks ago I took away all police and firefighter toys for a week. Just as the deadline neared, he pee’d again. We tried it for another week. More pee. Then last week I took away ‘scary bear stories’. So far so good. You can only clean carpets so many times. I am sure the pad is ruined. The only saving factor is using vinegar on the smell I an not sure it would pass a scratch and sniff test from Heloise but it makes it live-able for us.
More updates later, Love, Kim