We didn't have a Netflix movie last night, so instead of arguing about what DVD to choose from my permanent collection, we just drew names. Alesia won. She chose The Ghost and the Darkness, a movie about two lions who decimate a construction site in Africa in 1898. Not your usual chick flick. Good film, though.
Michael had, without too much fussing, watched a chick flick on Tuesday night. I had ordered Top Gun [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092099/] but the disk was damaged. I firmly believe every boy should watch Top Gun because it's such a guy movie [but with a love story] and it's a good story. It's pro-military, always good in our family. It has pretty good music, too [except for the nauseating power love ballad]. It has Tom Cruise when he was young and hunky and before he lost his mind. It also has young Anthony Edwards and young Val Kilmer - big hunky blonde guys. Just my type. I can happily watch with the sound off. But that's just me.
There are boys and men in this world who revere Top Gun with a religious fervor. I think that's plan weird and I do not understand it. Then again, I have read Gone With the Wind about 20 times, and seen the movie so many times I can say the lines - a feat that annoyed the heck out of my kids when we watched it the other day.
We had some real life drama last night. When I got home, there were police cars racing past me, lights flashing, to stop in front of a neighbor's house. The owner, a man in a wheelchair, was convinced he had seen or heard burglars breaking in. Good to know the police responded so quickly.
My neighbor Brian called when we were eating to tell us that he had seen two small deer in his yard, down by the creek. Right after dinner, Alesia took off for the creek, to see if she could spot them. I grabbed the deer repellant spray and sprayed my garden and all the pots with flowers in them. Mike stayed close to me.
I tried something new with Alesia last night and I am not sure how I feel about it. I asked her to break down some cardboard boxes in my room and put them in the recycling box, and her response was "No." She was sitting in my room at the time and knew that the boxes had held some shipments of her birthday presents, so it really annoyed me. I needed to get dinner going. I didn't say a word, though, just went downstairs. A few minutes later she came down and asked if I would play cards with her. I said "Well, since you wouldn't do what I asked a few minutes ago, I will have to say NO. When I ask you to do something and you tell me no, I will tell you no the next time you ask me for something." I didn't yell or lose it. I made the statement and went outside to check on my garden. However, as soon as I said no, she had a look of great disappointment on her face and I felt like Meanest Mommy In The World. Michael played cards with her, though.
However, I was sort of mentally patting myself on the back. Then, as soon as dinner was ready, I totally lost it. Michael was pretend kicking Alesia as she was trying to fix her plate for dinner. I had had to tell him about 6 times to get in the shower, and then had to fuss at him for shadowboxing with Alesia in my room when she didn't want to participate. He was just being a pest, but thinking he was so cute. I told him to get himself a glass of milk and instead he tried to play kick his sister. I didn't yell but I raised my voice and said "Michael, that's ENOUGH. I am TIRED of your antics tonight. If you don't calm down, you will spend the entire day tomorrow in bed, alone, doing nothing." I glared as I spoke.
Mike's next words were "That's OK. I don't mind spending the day in bed."
That infuriated me even further. "OK. So we know that's not a punishment. How about a 1 hour Time Out on your knees?!" He was quiet after that.
I felt like a garden hose. I maintained calm with one kid and sprang a leak [in my calm] with the other one.
I hate disciplining either one of them, but I am pretty strict. I don't allow disrespect or roughhousing in the house, and I insist on good manners. My kids do chores. They are frequently told things like this:
"I don't care if everyone has a Wii - I am not made of money and I cannot afford one, so forget about it."
"You are a member of this family and we all contribute in our house. So yes, you will clean up the kitchen [or your room, or whatever] - right NOW."
"Excuse me?" - This is used when they forget to say "M'am." I don't ever allow them to say "Yeah" to me or Mother. It's "Yes M'am" and "No M'am" or on rare occasions "Sir."
"You need to stay in your room and be quiet for an hour so Granny can nap."
"I'm not going to order that movie because it's a HORRIBLE movie, not because it's inappropriate. I am not going to waste time watching a bad movie. Rent it when you grow up and move out."
However, the two phrases you hear, without fail, around my house are these:
"Heavenly father, thank you..."
"I love you."
