It's One or the Other

Missy had an excellent day yesterday.  I felt bad to disappoint her over swimming but I did not feel great. Today she got up and got ready for the day without even resisting at all. I'm writing to see if there is a pattern here...

Her brother did not have a good morning.

Next time he tries to run away when its time to get on the bus I am just going to let him do that.  I'm not physically strong enough to pick him up and put him on anymore. Just as he saw the bus coming, yesterday he lept over the bank. I had a fraction of a second premonition that he might do that and grabbed the handle on the back of his backpack in his mid-air flight. Then wrestled him back up the bank in the mud on my knees then carried him biting and kicking and hitting to the bus. I was all out of air and I had nothing left. I prayed out loud, "Lord, give me strength!" and picked his writhing screaming body up and deposited him on the bus floor. The driver shut the door lickity split.

~But that is the last time.

If he wants to throw himself over the bank and run through orchard after orchard, he's welcome.

I've thought it through... What's the worse thing that could happen while he's running away?
*He might only run a hundred yards and then I'll still have to deal with him.
*He might come home before he's spent his anger.
*He'll miss school.
*He might get scared.
*He might come out of the orchard on a country road.  He knows road safety. He knows the lay of the land well. Our house is on a VERY distinct hill. He absolutely cannot get lost.
*He might meet up with a dog or two....
*He might decide running away doesn't solve his problems.

I texted the bus driver and let her know the plan and she agreed that would be the best.

Steve had him up at 5 am this morning so that I would not have to deal with any nonsense. When Steve left for work at 6 James was ready for school and all I had to do was give him breakfast and tell him to brush his teeth. I think we'll do it that way for awhile.