Look at the time this was posted!

So, last night ended a few minutes after 10pm, with Crystal and I once again trying to explain to McKee why he is punished for his choices, and how it is his choices that make him punished. Sure, he's smart enough to realize that at some point Crystal and I made the choice to punish him, but we explained how that will not change, so now only his behavior can change to keep him from punishments.

Then, we left him at 10-O-something-pm with directions to clean his room and a "have a good night, I'll see you at 4am" from me. See, I've been getting up early to go to work and thought that since today is another one of the Greece Central School Districts made up free days off for kids, that it would be ok to get him up at 4am and start him on his chores....did I say chores? Make that chore. Yes, singular (like me, throughout most of my high school and college years) chore. See, if he actually did the dishes, I'd probably give him a stay of execution (someone look that up and see if i'm using it correctly) and not have him worry about the other (yes, singular again) chore....well, maybe 2 other chores since the kids have 2 per day, but dishes are on McKee's "do 'em till you learn 'em" list.

....back to the story. So, at 4am, my trusty (not rusty) LG (Life's Good) cell phone starts up singing Morrissey (even if he's gay and celibate, the man can write and sing.....so shut up you anti-Morrissites......I bet you even hate the dentists....) and I hit snooze....twice. Sure, sure, sure, I'm so anti snooze that I'm one step from hitting the Washington DC scene to lobby against the snooze buttons existence, but, lately, I've been enjoying it as a guilty pleasure (if only I remembered that for yesterday's quiz.) Well, after I hit snooze the second time (man, I need professional help), I hear a noise.....an 11 year old boy walking into my room type noise. It's McKee......awake, on his 2 feet, and walking. He was complaining of a bad dream (how do we replicate that every school morning at 6am to get him up this easy for his mom) but he was up. So, I got dressed and down stairs we went.

He didn't (and hasn't yet) whined a single bit (Sorry Crystal). Then, he proceeds to pull 2 bowls (I just wrote "bowels" but realized that was wrong) from the dishwasher and sat down wanting breakfast. Hey, that's freaking progress. So, Peaches & Cream oatmeal it was. He's sitting there, eating it....and now I have a few minutes before I have to fire up Old Betsy and drive to work. He'll be left here, at 4:41 1/2am with instructions to get the dishes done. Wish him luck!

Last night he took close to 3 hours to start (yeah, not finish, just start) the dishes. Here's hoping 4:30am is an easier time to get them done.

I'm off to work.....when you slackers wake up in a few hours I expect some comments!!!