Monday, October 6, 2008

The Chronicles of Dixon

Wow what a week we have had! I was filling in for our office administrator who was taking some well deserved time off - the advantages of your mother being the boss.

Anyway... Apparently, auctions are all the rage in the kids' classrooms this year.
Spencer got to bring home the betta fish he won in his class auction on Wednesday. I must have missed the memo that said live animals are welcome. I'll admit, I was tempted to grab the neighbor's cat who likes to leave his dna in my backyard, and send him packing to the auction, but I calmed down. His fish is named Brick. Don't ask me, I have no idea. The really bad thing is that his fish can't go in the big aquarium with other fish so Spence is all on his own.
So, on Friday, Jacob calls my phone to tell me that he won an Easy Bake Oven in his class auction. Again, the frustration was hitting. I had to sign a paper giving my permission for Jacob to bring anything to auction, but nothing giving permission for what he can win???
So he calls to tell me he won and that all he needs is a light bulb and the ingredients. I say STOP!!! DON'T TOUCH IT. I promise to help you when I get home. Leave it and DON'T TOUCH IT!
A few minutes later, I get another phone call. He found a 60 watt light bulb and he just wanted to try it out. Again I said, STOP!!! DON'T TOUCH IT. I promise to help you when I get home. Leave it on the table and DON'T TOUCH IT!
A few minutes later, I get another phone call. Are you sensing the pattern here? Mom, he says, I just put the light bulb in, I didn't turn it on, but guess what it fits! (This is where the pot boils over.) I said, I TOLD YOU TO LEAVE IT ON THE TABLE. IT IS DANGEROUS. I GUESS IT GOES IN THE GARBAGE SINCE YOU DELIBERATELY DISOBEYED ME. LEAVE IT ALONE. DON'T TOUCH IT AGAIN. I WILL DEAL WITH YOU WHEN I GET THERE.
A few minutes later, I get another phone call. This time it is Jacob requesting to go to his friends house, we'll call him Freddie (names have been changed to protect the presumably innocent). I replied to him that I was not home yet and couldn't take him to Freddie's house. Freddie lives a few miles away. I told him that we had plans for later that evening, and there wouldn't be time to play today. Maybe he and Freddie could play another day.
A few minutes later, Kent gets the phone call. Couldn't you just leave work long enough to take me to Freddie's house and then just go back to work. (The downside of Dad now working less than 2 miles away). Kent reminds him that we had plans for later that evening, and there wouldn't be time to play today. Maybe he and Freddie could play another day.
A few minutes later, Freddie gets a call. My mom and dad can't bring me to your house. Maybe you can come to get me. And having a really special mom, Freddie does. So, hopefully, Jacob and Freddie had a really great time, since it is the last time for a very long time that will happen. Kent arrives home just in time to see Freddie's mom dropping off Jacob and the real sparks begin. Jacob is grounded from All friends for 1 week. He lost his computer priviledge for 3 days and he has to rebuild our trust in him. He destroyed that and he has to rebuild it. And on Saturday, he had no TV except conference (probably not the greatest punishment, but let's be honest, when you're 9, it's pretty good), and he had to work.
So we went to my mom's to work and Jacob and Kent were repairing the stairs. He did ask Meemaw to play on her laptop, but I got to her first. About an hour later, he asked me how much trust had I regained in him. I quickly said, NOT ENOUGH. GET BACK TO WORK!
And work he did.

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