Sad Face

Well, swell. Aidan got in trouble this evening and his punishment was to go straight to bed. Do not pass go, do not get a bedtime story, do not choose a number for Mom. So we don't have a winner yet. I'll let him pick tomorrow. What that means for YOU is, more chances to win a 6-pack of beans! There's still time to comment!

Aidan's Kindergarten teacher has a discipline system that's very easy to follow: if there's a happy face drawn on the calendar in his Everyday Folder, it means he followed the rules and was a good citizen in class that day. If there's a sad face there, well... not so much.

Yesterday, bless his punkin heart, Aidan got a smiley face. "It was suppposed to be a SAD face, but Mrs. Flores forgot," he admitted. Gotta love the honesty.

"Why, Aidan? Why did you deserve a sad face?"

"Because I wouldn't walk in the hall. I would only crawl."

"What?? Why on earth?"

"'Cause I was just too tired."

I gave him a mini-lecture about how he needs to not be caught GIGGLING and talking to Ian 30 minutes after we tuck him in... but I didn't punish him. After all, he volunteered the information, and it WAS a sorta small crime. Then I noticed his pants.

"Aidan! DID YOU CUT YOUR PANTS TODAY?"

He stuck out his bottom lip immediately and bowed his head. He's so cute when he does that. But yesterday, while peering into the gaping hole in his brand-stinkin' new khakis, cute didn't do anything but piss me off.

"WHY?? AIDAN LANE KOCUR!! What are you thinking? Those are BRAND NEW PANTS!! Are you supposed to cut your pants?"

"No."

"What are you supposed to cut???"

"Only paper that I'm allowed to cut."

"I can't believe this, Aidan. You KNOW better."

"I made a bad choice."

"I tell you what. The very next time you make a bad choice and abuse your art supplies, you'll be grounded from art. That means at home AND at school. NO DRAWING ON THINGS YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO DRAW ON, and no CUTTING YOUR PANTS!! Do you understand me??"

"You can't ground me at school."

"Oh YES, I CAN, Mr. Buster. I'll talk to Mrs. F and she'll know that you're not allowed to have scissors at school."

"Mrs. F isn't my art teacher."

"Well, I'll talk to you art teacher, too."

"You don't know where her room is."

"It's by the auditorium. I DO know where it is and I WILL talk to her and you WILL be grounded from scissors at school. We're not discussing this, Aidan. Hush it."

"Hmpf. I cut my pants yesterday, too. And the day before that, too," he said defiantly.

"WHA???? AIDAN LANE KOCUR....."

It was at that point that my head began to explode and Darren took over.

So you see, he deserved sad faces all week long. His teacher has been too lenient. We told him in no uncertain terms that today had better be a happy face day, or ELSE.

Today, for the first time all year, he didn't race to greet me with a hug after school. I had to search him out.

"Aidan, what's wrong?" I asked.

He pouted that bottom lip and hung his head. Cutie pie punk kid that he is.

"Did you get a sad face?" I demanded. It's only his third (actual) one of the year. But I'm mean. Sad faces on his calendar are not permissible. "WHY?"

"I threw a rock and it hit Thomas in the head BUT I WAS TRYING TO THROW IT OVER HIS HEAD AND I DIDN"T MEAN TO HIT HIM IT WAS AN ACCIDENT! And MOM, (Cara will love this) Tristan made me think of it!" I really, really like Erica, Thomas' mom. I hope she doesn't hate me now.

So. Aidan was already in trouble for throwing rocks and busting Thomas in the head. At dinner, he threw a huge temper tantrum and refused to eat his green beans. He wanted more bread, but when told that he couldn't have anymore until he ate the beans, he FREAKED. OUT.

Darren gave him one change to cool it, and Aidan answered by stomping his feet on his chair. Off to beddy bye he went. Do not pass go. Do not beat his butt with his cute little braided leather belt. Do not scream your head off like a banshee. Just tuck him in bed and walk out of the room and count to ten. Or twenty. Or one hundred and fifty-seven.

Cara tells me she doesn't think my kids misbehave, because she never sees it. Too bad she hasn't been here THIS week. Have mercy.