I Don't Want To, Either.

First, can I just say that I had one of those rare weekends of pure bliss. Why? Because it was completely ordinary and uneventful.


On Friday we traveled a few hours to see Oldest Daughter perform in Junior Honors Orchestra (have I mentioned that yet? I'm a little puffed up about it, probably because I never played an instrument, and if she is accomplished, then by extension I must be as well.)  We drove home and stopped at McDonalds twice - once for crispy fries and sodas, another time for ice cream - and Current Husband and OD dropped me off at the door of The Gap Outlet for 10 minutes of power shopping while they got said ice cream.  Poor CH.  He thinks I can't do much in 10 minutes.  He should really stop underestimating me.

My Mother In Law drove nearly 3 hours to be home when my youngest two got home, and she helped them make cookies and gave them pizza and brought pumpkin bread and let them talk about what they want for Christmas for five hours straight, so it's Hero Time in the Grandma department.  She stayed for The Son's basketball game, which was awesome, and then she left for home.  I turned off my cell phone at the game, and haven't turned it back on yet.  I didn't check e-mail all weekend.  I didn't even get the mail on Saturday.

Isn't he cute?  Sigh.

We took the kids to see Harry Potter, complete with requisite popcorn and peanut M&M's mixed up (if you haven't tried this artery-clogging treat, you are totally missing out on the joy that is the perfect mix of salty and sweet.)  Brief review, because I am a full-service blog:  Harry Potter was good.  There were two parts where I covered up Youngest Daughter's eyes because it was scary.  However, it felt like exactly what it is - the first part of a two part movie, and it was too long, but that's okay because you really don't want Harry Potter to ever end.  C'mon, JK Rowling, can't Harry and Ginny  and Ron and Hermione have kids and start a whole new series?

After the movie, we all went to Village Inn for breakfast at 4 p.m.  Awesome.  Then home for a game of Scrabble and college football.  Slept in this morning and CH made coffee.  Spent the day unpacking more boxes and getting OD's room in order.  It is so cool, I want to live up there.  We caught up on laundry, ate leftovers, had a generally satisfying time. 

Until Bedtime.

Youngest Daughter had been misbehaving off and on during the day, getting hopped up on Grandma Cookies and milk.  I get that.  But at bedtime, we went into her room, and I saw the pile of freshly laundered, folded clothes on her bed.

ME:  "Why didn't you put away your clothes?"
YD:  "I didn't feel like it."
SCREECH. My head spins around 360 degrees.  HUH?
ME: "What?"
YD: (slowly) I. Didn't. Feel. Like. It.
Let me say that I am not a big spanker, but this did merit a small swat.  A "Can I please get your attention" swat.  Easily confused with a "Oh, I brushed a mosquito off of you" swat.
YD:  "HEY!"
ME:  "That is for thinking you can tell me you won't do what I ask you to do because you don't feel like it.  (Insert 10 minute speech about what I don't feel like doing here. This is when time actually stops, and everyone in the family freezes, unable to see, hear, or speak.  Their eyes get glassy, and drool seeps out of their mouths.) And because of that, you are grounded from TV tomorrow too."
I would like to point out that YD was COMPLETELY nonplussed by the swat.
YD:  "So, how much TV are we talking about?"
ME:  (in disbelief that she doesn't care) "ALL DAY. NO TV."
YD:  "Okay, I'll read a book instead."
CURSES!  She has turned a punishment into an admirable activity!
ME:  "Um, okay.  Good night.  I love you."
YD:  (brightly) "I love you too, Mom!  Good night!"

I walk slowly in to the living room and tell CH the story.  We are agreeing that this particular child is crafty, and unaffected by punishment.  As if to punctuate what we are saying, YD skips into the room, grabs her iPod, and skips back out of the room, happy as a little bunny rabbit.

Dang it. She's pretty cute too.

She seems so happy.  I'm taking this as a life lesson, and the next time my boss asks me to do something, I'm going to say, "I don't feel like it."  I have a feeling it's going to end well.  Probably with me in my room, reading a book.  Or the want ads.

Have a great week!