The Battle Rages Still

Little Guy continues to balk. It doesn't matter what I ask of him he refuses to comply. It's a repeat of two weeks ago, only instead of Missy it's Buster.

On Sabbath, while we were still at church I asked him to tie his shoes. He whined and cried and said he could not. I tried to help but he wouldn't even try so I told him to go to dad. He wouldn't move. I started to pull him but it's just plain stupid to drag him when he can walk by himself. I said, "Fine, stay here then. Bye!" He chased me and kicked me in the ankles. I wasn't going to react, but I turned in time to see him whack his twin between the shoulders. Her eyes bugged and I felt terrible. I pulled her close and said, "I'm sorry!! That was not nice and you didn't deserve that. He will have a consequence, just be still and say nothing. I'm really, really sorry!" I then marched him to the car and sat him on the ground by the wheel where he proceeded to try and bust his sunglasses to bits. I retrieved them and turned him over to Steve. He was screaming bloody murder in the church parking lot. We would not allow him in the car like that. We arranged the seating so that I would drive and Steve would sit next to him in the very back seat, however, he couldn't get in the car like that so I drove away and left poor Steve to deal with it. We were kind of in a hurry. I had packed a sack lunch and we were suppose to head to friends to meet for the annual big church hike up Wedge. The girls and I ate our sack lunches and then drove back to find Steve still working on him to tie his shoes. We waited.  Eventually he did it and stopped the nonsense. I drove like crazy and we were on time for the hike.

The hike was awesome. The twins were really good hikers. Must be all that practice on our backyard mountain :-) . They loved the snow on the top, etc... Little Guy said, "Watch me mom" and took off running down the hill and did a major face plant.  I pressed on the swelling between his eyes and the blood stopped coming out his nose. He looks like we beat him up. We have a lot of explaining to do at Children's Hospital tomorrow!

This morning I had to play the piano for the Sunday church as my girls were called out to cherry harvest. All went well in the morning, but when we got home I asked Buster to make his bed and his sister's. (Making Missy's bed is part of his restitution for the unprovoked whack in the back she endured). He refused. It went on and on and on. Little Miss and I did other things. He sat on his bedroom floor. Finally, I had to go pick up the girls so he was asked to finish up. He screamed and had to go up the hill. Let me tell you, he made it difficult on himself. I finally left with him in the car.... I treated the girls to ice-cream cones and we came home to get ready for swimming. Again I asked him to get his bed made and he refused. We went back up the hill- only it was so hot I could not go far. I made him stand by a fence post and told him he would not be going down until the screaming stopped.  He wouldn't stop for two hours.

He threatened me with a stick, he swore once or twice, he threw rocks at me, he screamed he was scared, he ran away from me several times, he growled, he smacked his hands together, he complained that it was too hot, he complained that it was raining, but he would not be quiet. I stood aways from him and sang as many songs as I could remember. As he simmered down I kept singing and still required him to be quiet and to stay and obey. Finally he was quiet. I sang two songs in the blessed quietness then asked him which song he would like me to sing next. He chose Jesus Loves Me and I invited him to sing with me. Next he asked for Jesus Loves the Little Ones Like Me and then Jesus Loves the Little Children. You have to picture this... We are on a dry, steep hill about ten feet apart. He's butt naked except for his t-shirt, I'm in my swim suit. (The girls took the car and went swimming without us). He's covered in dirt and I'm not much better with sweat dripping down my neck and we are singing Jesus Love Me.

He finally made both beds and it took him all of 10 minutes. He had a shower, ate supper and crawled into the newly (but not perfectly) made bed with a smile on his face and many promises that tomorrow will be different. I read scriptures out loud part of the time he was on the hill. I needed the bolstering. I have to believe that God will win the war. "There hath not failed one WORD of all His good promise." 1 Kings 8:56 I choose to believe that He has promised to be with me and will not forsake this child.

Oh, and then half an hour later a cop car slowly drove up the driveway. It took him so long I had time to get dressed before he got to the door. I was thinking, "brother, someone's reported the screaming! Now what?"  But no, Steve is being called as a witness to a fatality he tried to resuscitate a year ago. The victim was in a drunk driving accident but the driver wants to be cleared.  Steve won't be able to say she wasn't drunk and he can't say she was drunk, but her behavior was way-out there.