VBS

...is finally over!  And the last three days went much better than the first two.

Wednesday:  C's mom had taken away the use of game-playing on the iPad for two weeks, one week ago.  She told him that if he behaved well at VBS today, he could get the iPad back that night (one week early.)  And yeah, he was a perfect angel.  We took Jasmine to the vet.  She had blood in her stool, not to mention she's the one who's been marking the carpet.  Her blood/urine/fecal tests all came back fine.  So now we are forcing antibiotics down her throat.  The first few times, it was so sad.  She wouldn't swallow the pill and it tasted really bad, so she was foaming at the mouth because it was so nasty.  She cowers when she knows we're trying to catch her, and cries. 

We finally got it down her throat today.  She won't voluntarily eat wet food, but we crushed the pill and mixed it into wet food, diluted it, put it in a syringe, and forced it down her throat so at least she would swallow. 

Thursday:  C, now with the iPad, had little incentive for good behavior and received several time-outs.  I officially was relieved of my first-grade teaching responsibilities, because I had to stay with C for every second.  I have to admit, it's nice to have a kid hanging on your arm and laying his head in your lap.  But I was cool, giving him loves while making sure he knew he was expected to sit up, walk on his own, and listen to the teachers.  This took several time outs and one "let's go away and chill out for a few minutes."  He was so openly defiant.  I mean, he's sitting there in time out and sobbing and looking at me like I'm so mean, and I say, "Are you ready to obey?" and his face scowls and he yells "N-O spells NO!"  "Okay then, I'll give you some more time to think about it."  "Nooooooooo!"

Friday:  Today, his mom promised him the iPad in the afternoon if he behaved.  We did have a rough day today with more time outs.  In the car he asked, "Have I been good?"  I said, "What do you think?"  He said, "Um, kind of good?"  I said I agreed with that.  His mom said he didn't get the iPad because she requires excellent behavior. 

Still, I think he made marvelous progress for the week, considering 1. he's not used to obeying anyone but his mom, 2. he is not usually in unfamiliar environments 3. he is not usually around a lot of kids he doesn't know 4. he gets to be with his mom all day, every day (except every other weekend.)

If you read my Facebook, you may gather that Thursday in the car after VBS, he asked from the back seat, "Why do they always sing and talk about Jesus?"  I explained, "Because they love him.  We all do bad things, and the punishment for that is dying without getting to live ever again.  But Jesus died and lived again and went to live with God, and now if we believe he took our punishment, we can live again with God after we die!"

He said, "I want that!" 

So I told him to quietly tell Jesus that he knows he does bad things, and to thank Jesus for dying and then living again, so that C could also live again after he dies.  He said, "I did it."  I said, "Great!  That makes Jesus so happy; now to show Jesus that you are thankful, you read the Bible, which is his message to us.  It tells us how to live."  He said he had a kids' Bible at home.

I told his mom.  She said if he chooses that, that's fine.  She's not a believer, and I really don't want to do anything to jeopardize my relationship with her.  Besides, if she feels like I'm forcing religion on her kid, you think she'll keep letting me hang out with him?  The best way to witness to both of them right now is to respect her boundaries.  I asked if I could read him Bible stories when he comes to my house; she said probably, and she'd think about it.  But the thing I don't want to do is make it a chore:  Like, "Now you're at my house.  Let's read our Bible story and sing our song and memorize a verse."  In fact, the thing he loved most about VBS were the songs, and interestingly enough, his favorites were Christian songs!  He doesn't sing with me, but he'll ask me to sing, and then say "Again, please!"

The funny thing is, C himself is the curious one.  Today he asked me if I pray.  I said yes, and he said, "I pray too, for lots of things."  He wouldn't tell me what, though.  He did say, "My mom does not pray.  She does not want to talk to Jesus."  I said, "Well, some people don't want to."  I have to tread so carefully!  Lord, give me wisdom to speak truth in ways that a little mind can understand, without jeopardizing his relationship with the only stable person in his life right now!

It's so wonderful to hear his matter-of-fact questions about God and Jesus.  I know his grandma (my aunt) has probably exposed him to the gospel too, so he had heard of God before.  I think VBS made him more interested and curious - and he is extremely curious and thoughtful.

I bet he'd like the "G.T. and the Halo Express" CDs I listened to as a kid.  They have word-for-word verses set to song, with a story to go along with it.  Of course I listened to them on cassettes.  They are still available, though on CD.  I can just stick on a CD while he plays with toys.  Besides, I want to hear them again too.  Every one of the VBS memory verses is in song form with G.T.  Sometimes I just wanted to jump up in the middle of a really dry memory verse lesson and say "How about I teach you a song instead?!"

Anyway!

I. Want. To. Be. A.  Mom.

This week was exhausting and tearful, full of smiles and hugs and time-outs and commands of "eat your breakfast.  Walk like a big boy.  Pay attention."  But every evening when I gave him back to his mom, suddenly the house was so quiet.  I finally had time to play my computer games and I just didn't want to.  I missed him, even though I'd spent the last eleven hours with him!  I know that being a mom is much more than this, since you have them at bedtime, and it lasts way longer than a week, but this is the closest I've ever come to having mom duties!  And it was such a blast.  He is a delightful child; he just gets uncomfortable in new situations, which leads him to either act completely crazy, or completely withdraw.  So when we're at my house, he's an angel.

I'm definitely going to be taking him to my house more.  And he loves our house because when Joe's here, he gets to play Minecraft with Joe.  Everything is a question with this kid.  Instead of an observation, he always makes a question.  "We're having fun, right?"  "That's funny, right?"  And "What's that?" when he knows the answer.  Half the time, he asks a question and I respond with, "What do YOU think?"  Seems pretty effective at the moment; he either answers or moves on to another topic.   Joe was pretty patient with him, but also pretty exhausted after answering hundreds of questions.

Oh, kind of funny - he gave me the finger yesterday when he was really mad at me!  Who knows where he learned that, but he clearly knows it's something that is supposed to be very shocking.  So I didn't react at all.  And he decided it was boring.  Phew!

That was a post way longer than I intended.  I can't wait to have a kid and post silly conversations.