A post about everything and nothing at all

A couple of quick updates will have to suffice for today's post...

Master J woke me up at 3:00 this morning to let me know he was throwing up. Yay me! There's just nothing I look forward to more than doing laundry, cleaning toilets and scrubbing carpet in the middle of the night. Don't get me wrong, I feel awful when my kid is sick and I would never let on that I'd rather be sleeping at that time of night, but, seriously? Why does that stuff always happen in the middle of the night? How about a nice Tuesday afternoon when I'm not trying to sleep and I can see what I'm cleaning? Ah well, such is parenthood I guess. He stopped the vomiting part by 7:00am but then his fever skyrocketed up to 102.8 by the afternoon. With medication it was down to 100 by bedtime. We'll see how tonight goes.

The smoke shop killer from the other night was caught. A fifteen year old boy. A good kid. An honors student who loved science, was on the wrestling team and ROTC and who wanted to join the military after he graduated. All thrown away for $300. Three people were shot, two of them are dead. Three families devastated. This child will be tried as an adult. For a decision he probably made in about two minutes, he will most likely go to jail for the rest of his life. This whole situation makes me so sad.

Lastly, Mister C and I just watched "The End of America" with Naomi Wolf. Interesting show, probably worth watching.

Good Parenting 101

We have a list of things that need to get done in the morning by Master J prior to school. After the list is complete, he can do pretty much whatever he wants until about three minutes before we're supposed to leave. I set a timer to go off three minutes before we're due to leave so he has ample warning. As a side note, the timer is an absolute God-send. It gives him the warning without involving me and trust me, if I'm not involved it's better for everyone. I don't nag, he doesn't fuss, pure bliss. Anyway, when the timer goes off, he gets his shoes on, grabs his backpack and gets in the car. Or sometimes he gets his backpack and carries his shoes to the car. I don't really care what order so long as he, his backpack and his shoes are in the car on schedule to leave. This morning, after he got everything on his list done, he was reading on the couch until it was time to get going. The timer goes off, he puts his book down, grabs his backpack and then we have this conversation:

J: Where's my shoes?
M: I have no idea
J: Well, where do you think I put them?
M: I don't know. I don't wear them.
J: Mom, I can't find them!
M: I'm sorry to hear that. You need to hurry up.
J: I can't hurry up if I can't find my shoes! Please help me find them!
M: Dude, this is why I repeatedly tell you to put your stuff back where it belongs. I am always telling you to not just drop stuff where you're standing and this is exactly why. Now you can't find your shoes and you're going to be late. Please start putting your stuff where it belongs so we don't have to go through this.
J: Oh never mind, I found them.
M: Great, now go get in the car.
M (to Mister C): Where's my shoes?
Mister C just shakes his head.
M: I know, but where did I put them?
MC: You are pathetic!