File under "If I'm going to post all the good...I have to be honest with the bad"
I don't think Kevin was ever in as much trouble as Christopher and Matthew have gotten into over the last day or two. It's a long story on how we've gotten to this point. I guess, as background, we should point out that there are two new boys in the neighborhood. They are a year older than Christopher and Matthew, and it's been a really good thing for the boys. Combined with the discovery of the Yu-gi-oh-playing boys on the other side of Sower (2 boys in 2nd grade, one in 4th, and, on top of all that, a girl in the 3rd) a whole new world of fun has opened up in the neighborhood.
But, it's required some adjustments on Mom and Dad's part. Kevin was never allowed to cross Sower on his own, Kevin was at least in 4th grade before we were ok with it. The two new boys on Graystone cross Sower at will; of course Matthew and Christopher want to as well. We've tried to be reasonable with this....we've asked the boys to come back and tell us they are crossing Sower, but, have let them go with the understanding to 'be careful'.
The other not-so-good thing is that it turns out the new boys on Graystone and most of the new kids on Sower also ride their bikes without helmets. Mom and Dad haven't given on this point....if you're going to ride your bike, you must wear a helmet. I'm not too surprised that the incidents of Christopher and Matthew riding without helmets has gone up, but, Mom and Dad have grown increasingly more stringent on this....both boys have lost bike privileges for a day or two before....and that brings us to Thursday.
Thursday night, the boys aren't around, and I forget why we decided we needed to go and check up on them, but, leaving Wiley inside (to avoid the constant barking that accompanies Dad's departure from the house if Wiley is outside), Dad heads up the street to find the boys. First contact is with Matthew, who has taken his bike (that's he's lost privileges for) out of the garage, and ridden across Sower. He's coming back now, so, I get to watch him, singing(!), cross the street at Sower (without stopping to look!), without a helmet(!!!!). He sees me, pulls up next to me with his head bowed, and gets told that he's in a world of trouble, and he'd better head home right now. And where's Christopher? Christopher sees me, and hops on the bike of one of the new kids (that he's borrowed) and comes riding over. Again, no stop to look for traffic, no helmet, and, best yet, no shoes. Boys are sent to their room for the night (it's late anyway), told that bikes can't be ridden again until after the weekend, and that one more violation of the bike policies (shoes, helmet, and looking for traffic) will result in not getting to ride their bikes for the rest of the summer.
We were supposed to go see the new Star Wars movie Friday night...the time we had at home (after getting Kevin from camp and picking the boys up) was totally impromptu...we were going to go out to dinner and the movie (and leave home after 30 minutes) but, the boys had asked to skip the dinner out so they could play outside for a little bit. In hindsight, this was a disastrous move on the boys part. Right before I'm about to go find the boys and get them home so we can go, the doorbell rings. It's the neighbor from up the street (the other direction). He's very apologetic, asked me if Christopher had mentioned what happened. Of course, I have no idea what he's talking about, but fear the worst. Turns out Christopher had violated the bike rule, and had taken his bike over to that house, and then violated another rule that we've been harping on all summer, and dropped his bike on the ground in their driveway. So, his wife backed up over it. Handlebar of the bike is trashed, seat is ruined....I'm still not sure at this point whether it can be salvaged, it will require a call to the manufacturer to see if I can purchase the part that's bent
Our neighbor is extremely apologetic...he's offering to buy a new bike, he's really sorry, maybe we can order the part, and all I can thing (as steam is coming out of my ears!) is that the bike shouldn't have been over there in the first place! Make sure his car is ok (it is), politely, but adamantly, refuse any offer of paying for the bike, and set off to find the culprits. Again, first contact is Matthew, ON HIS BIKE, without a helmet. He's told that he's lost his bike for the summer, and he needs to get home. Find Christopher, and he's told to get home as well.
The boys lost their bike for the summer (Christopher for longer than that....if I can't fix it, he won't get a new one until next Spring) and all of their Yu-Gi-Oh cards. Trip to the movie cancelled. Boys confined to their room for the night and told that they were restricted to our yard for a week.
And that brings us to today. I know, you're reading this and thinking, how could it get any worse? Suzanne and I were actually asking if we'd gone too far with the punishment.....bikes fine, cards fine, grounded....maybe we should reconsider. That concept is so funny right now...that we were thinking of being lenient. Hah!
Christopher had a previously scheduled intro Karate lesson at noon, and the boys had been well behaved up to this point. Suzanne and I were going to go look at a new washer and dryer, so, we agreed, I'd take Cpher to the lesson, and Suzanne would meet up with me at Best Buy afterwards, and Kevin could watch Matthew. As I leave, Matthew is playing outside, in our yard, with Maddie from up the street. Meet up with Suzanne at Best Buy...her first words are "I am so mad at Matthew". I can't imagine what he's done now!
So, Suzanne leaves the house, tells Matthew specifically that Kevin's home watching him, but, he can stay outside and play with Maddie, but, he can't leave the yard. Instead of heading to Best Buy, Suzanne sees the signs for 2 garage sales going on today...she heads over to check them out. Heading back from there, she drives by Graystone, looks down the street, and there's Matthew on his bike, without a helmet, four houses away from home!
Suzanne pulls up, Matthew has his head down, he knows he's in deep deep trouble. He's banished to his room, he can't leave the house for the rest of the day. Twice, during this afternoon, he's headed outside, and twice, during this afternoon, he's been banished back to his room for extended periods of time.
Christopher hears about this, sees all this, and, up until 4 pm is a pretty good boy. Asks us if he can leave the yard, we repeatedly say no. About 4:30 start wondering where he is, turns out he's left the yard. Gone over to the house where his bike died, he's in there. So, go fetch him, and march him home....turns out that he wrote one of the kids bikes over there (again, no helmet!) He's banished to his room, can't go out today, can't go out tomorrow.
They are upstairs, supposedly in their room....Chistopher comes down to ask how long he has to be there and he smells of perfume (another thing the boys have been told several times recently...stay out of Mom's smelly stuff). So, walk him back upstairs, Matthew scurries out of Mom's room, guilty. They are shuffled back into their room....and now the TV is turned off, with a stern warning that it better not get turned back on.
30 minutes later crying from upstairs.....he hit me, etc etc. Go up, tell each of them they have to not just stay in their room, they have to stay in their bed now, turn the corner into the room and the TV is on. Take the satellite box out of their room, TV is gone now for a few days.
Unbelievable.
Upcoming posts: "Kevin's splinter and blisters", "Kevin goes cross-country", "Jury Duty, Round 2" and "Christopher's Karate Lesson"
