Mini Lessons in Self Government

Today is summer.

Enjoy it. It might be the last day of summer we get for another week.

The weather is so weird.

There's not so much to write about. I picked cherries off our tree yesterday and pitted and canned until 10:30 last night.  I am embarrassed to tell how few jars I managed to put up. I'm just so not used to doing stuff by myself.

This morning I mowed the whole pasture with the push mower before breakfast.

And that kind of put the twins in a position where I could see just how much they have learned (or not)  in the area of self-government. James came through with flying colors. Another little someone did not.

Last evening while I was pitting the twins were outside and 5 of the neighbor kids played with them on the trampoline - ring-around-the-rosie,  duck-duck-goose, that kind of thing. It's the first time they have come over since Missy's garden tantrum in May.  Anyway, I let them play later than usual because I was busy and they were playing so nicely. Eventually, I told them that they had 5 minutes to finish up and come in to get ready for bed. In 5 minutes James did just that and the neighbor kids went home. Forty-five minutes later Missy showed her face - and only because Steve had arrived from work.

I was out mowing before the kids woke up this morning. When they finally crawled out of bed and waved at me through the window I gave them instructions to get ready for the day so we could eat before we had to leave for our appointment.

Almost 2 hours later James completed everything and had eaten and was hopping into the car. Missy - dear little Missy, was wildly offended as she had barely begun, but I made her take care of the her bunny while I waited for her. When the tirade of words coming from her corner of the car threatened to grow out of control I stopped the vehicle in the middle of the road and turned and asked her if she was done yet. I reminded her that I had given her the same amount of time to do her chores and eat as her brother. I had even made a point of giving her periodic reminders, but she had chosen to play around. I asked her to please close her mouth. When silence had reigned for a whole 10 minutes I handed her a V8 which she promptly spilled all over her lap. A good reminder as to why we don't let her eat in the car! We had to take the clothes off when we arrived at our destination.

Ah, me. What kind of mother I must look like to other people. The kiddo was lucky to have a sweater with her, though it was plenty stained with tomato juice. Her hair was unbrushed and her face dirty. BUT hey, though she could have, she chose not to throw a tantrum! That's worth something.

Obviously, this child must be watched and reminded, and pushed and prodded. She probably doesn't have a good sense of time. She likes to play and is super easily distracted...

unless....

unless she chooses not to be distracted. She can focus and get things done when she wants to.

But 16 months later I certainly haven't found a reliable key to motivating her to get her morning routine done. It feels like such a fight every single day. I sense that this is the main area that she is holding out on for control. Why else would a kid be willing to risk missing breakfast?