Jacob spends a lot of time at my house, and pretty much we're good. He's easy, especially on weekdays when he's necessarily occupied with homework. But sometimes I forget how contradictory and--well, yes, irritating--eight-year-olds can be. Today being Friday, he had no homework so he went home with another boy to play. I was delighted because he's spending the night and I thought all day and all night with the old lady might be too much. His mother called: he had unpacked his iPad and left it on the counter at home. That's a big deal because if I want to work in the evening, that keeps him occupied without kids' TV blaring at me (he prefers to camp in my office). We would have to go pick it up from her at the country club near my house.
So I picked him up at five and told him all this. When we got home, he insisted on throwing his backpack out the window and then climbing out. No sooner done than he said we had to go back because he left his gloves (baseball gloves, crucial even though his season is over--couldn't wait till Monday). So back we went--not a big deal, less than a mile. Once back in my driveway he panicked because he couldn't find his backpack. I reminded him. So he asked for the second time why I wasn't putting the car in the garage. I explained again we would have to go get the iPad.
Once inside, he wanted his TV programs and I wanted the news, so he established himself in the kitchen, drank the red Gatorade he'd collected on our second trip to the friend's house and insisted on a bowl of Fruit Loops (I hate feeding him junk). Pretty soon he came to tell me he'd thrown up. I told him to clean it up but he insisted I come look. It was really minimal spit-up, but he said, "It's red. I'm thinking it's blood." I explained about the red drink and the Fruit Loops, and I made him clean it up while he muttered, "This is so gross."
His parents delivered the iPad, so I quickly went and put my car up while it was still dusk. I hate walking down my driveway in total darkness, even with motion detector lights spaced along the way. Then I cooked supper--scrambled eggs, bacon, and broccoli (which he loves). His first words: "I'm not eating that" and he pointed to the eggs. "It's eggs," I said. "Oh, okay, I'm eating it." He ate every bite on his plate and asked for more, which I didn't have--broccoli was all gone, and I would have had to start over with bacon and eggs. I offered part of the broccoli on my plate--and he came and snatched a piece of bacon with the explanation, "I like bacon." "So do I," I protested. He won that round.
So now he's at his iPad and I'm at my computer. He was of course still hungry and has had ice cream and a peanut butter/honey sandwich. I think all is well with the world. I told him I saw a sign last night that said, "I love you, but you sure can irritate me." I considered buying it but the friend with me asked if Jacob would understand. I said, "Oh yeah." Tonight he said, "Yeah. I understand." But his eyes were laughing.
So I picked him up at five and told him all this. When we got home, he insisted on throwing his backpack out the window and then climbing out. No sooner done than he said we had to go back because he left his gloves (baseball gloves, crucial even though his season is over--couldn't wait till Monday). So back we went--not a big deal, less than a mile. Once back in my driveway he panicked because he couldn't find his backpack. I reminded him. So he asked for the second time why I wasn't putting the car in the garage. I explained again we would have to go get the iPad.
Once inside, he wanted his TV programs and I wanted the news, so he established himself in the kitchen, drank the red Gatorade he'd collected on our second trip to the friend's house and insisted on a bowl of Fruit Loops (I hate feeding him junk). Pretty soon he came to tell me he'd thrown up. I told him to clean it up but he insisted I come look. It was really minimal spit-up, but he said, "It's red. I'm thinking it's blood." I explained about the red drink and the Fruit Loops, and I made him clean it up while he muttered, "This is so gross."
His parents delivered the iPad, so I quickly went and put my car up while it was still dusk. I hate walking down my driveway in total darkness, even with motion detector lights spaced along the way. Then I cooked supper--scrambled eggs, bacon, and broccoli (which he loves). His first words: "I'm not eating that" and he pointed to the eggs. "It's eggs," I said. "Oh, okay, I'm eating it." He ate every bite on his plate and asked for more, which I didn't have--broccoli was all gone, and I would have had to start over with bacon and eggs. I offered part of the broccoli on my plate--and he came and snatched a piece of bacon with the explanation, "I like bacon." "So do I," I protested. He won that round.
So now he's at his iPad and I'm at my computer. He was of course still hungry and has had ice cream and a peanut butter/honey sandwich. I think all is well with the world. I told him I saw a sign last night that said, "I love you, but you sure can irritate me." I considered buying it but the friend with me asked if Jacob would understand. I said, "Oh yeah." Tonight he said, "Yeah. I understand." But his eyes were laughing.
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