A GOOD DAY AND A BAD ONE FOR CHEWLEE

I felt bad for Chewlee today.  She got a smiley face so she had a good day, as she told me.  But then, she screwed up once she got to go out to play.  She left her bike over at one friend's house, managed to lose her flip-flops AGAIN and her mother found her running up and down the other side of the circle (without the bike).  She gets NO privileges for the rest of the week now.  She was really upset.  

I can't blame her mother for that part.  Chewlee is very careless about her shoes for some reason.  But I got upset with her and the Beast for calling Chewlee *evil*.  I said, *She's not evil, she's just a kid!*  They just throw that word *evil* around like it's nothing.  But to me, evil is a kid that kills things like cats and dogs.  Or sets fires to burn things down.  THAT's evil!  Not losing her shoes or running up and down the street.  Just because Chewlee wasn't where she was supposed to be doesn't make her evil.  It just makes her a KID that should be punished because she isn't supposed to go anywhere we don't know about.

But she feels safe here where she pretty much knows everyone.  In fact, I would bet that she DOES know everyone around here now.  She sees no threat and feels no threat.  But we know that people can seem okay and not be so it worries us when we don't know where she is.  THAT is what she doesn't understand and where we conflict with her.

I would have punished her for a few days, except for the fact that she lost her shoes...again.  THAT would have really pissed me off because I think she still hasn't gone over to the friend's house where she left a different pair of flip-flops and asked for them.  But that's a different problem.

I think the Princess was more pissed off because she was embarrassed when she went to the friend's house where Chewlee had left her bike parked and found out she had been there and left quickly for some reason (leaving her bike there).  I mean, shouldn't a mother know where her kid is?  But WE were the ones that trusted her to go where she was supposed to go and STAY there.  I think the Princess has inherited the Beast's over-reaction to things.  Maybe I'm wrong but I get a little mad but I talk reasonably and then administer the punishment.  My aim isn't to make a kid cry but to make them see OUR point in trusting her and how she has made us NOT trust her now.  Am I wrong?  Maybe I AM a bad parent-figure like the Beast has always said.  But I had a mother that over-reacted to everything and would beat the crap out of us.  I NEVER wanted to be that way to my kids.  It's an awful way to live.

The weather here was strange today.  It was really cool out this morning and it's really cool outside again tonight but it was hot inbetween.  LOL!  The Beast washed his Prius (lord, he loves that car!) and told me he has to build shelves in the cottage for some of the stuff he's dragged into it.  In order to do that, he has to finish putting up the paneling.  Not that it's a big deal.  He has a nail gun so it's whiz-bang to get them up.  He only will have to cut a few pieces at corners.  THOSE I will have to help him with.  Knowing his amount of energy, however, he might only put up the pieces that don't need cutting for now.

Well, love you all.  Have a great week.  Tomorrow we have to clear out my room here with the last of the stuff (my desk, the TV, the recliner and a few spreads and blankets) because the rug guys are going to be here at 8:30am on Wednesday.  The Beast also has to take the baseboard heater off the wall so it makes it easy for them to lay the rug and pad.  Be good.  See you here again, I hope.