Bah.

I had a pretty good weekend, all things considered. Logan spent the night at a friend's house because his friend's little brother was having a birthday party that he wanted Logan to attend. Logan came back to get his hair cut Saturday morning, then went back to the rest of the party (which apparently was spread over two days??). Despite not having slept much Friday night, he was reportedly behaving well with Billy. He walks into the house and starts getting an attitude with me, and it is all I can do but to keep myself from stringing him up by his toenails. Billy even makes the comment, "Wow, he was just FINE for me. What did you do?!"

Sigh.

Last night at 11 p.m. I go up to Logan's room to put a pair of pants in his drawer for the morning, only to find him still awake, playing his Nintendo DS. When we had gone in his room at 8:30 p.m., he had been under his covers with the lights out. Of course, I confronted him about why he was still up 2-1/2 hours after his bedtime, and he says he couldn't see his clock and didn't know it was that late. At some point, while I am confiscating his DS and his CD player (there isn't much else to take! He's grounded from friends already for an argument Billy had with him Sunday morning), he says, "Whatever, I'm not going to school tomorrow anyway." My blood boils after he says, "Whatever, Mom." right afterwards, and I spank him.

I don't spank him often, but it does happen on occasion. I've also been known to make him drink (or gargle) small amounts of vinegar, too. But this time, it was spanking. He laughs as I am spanking him.... not a crazy, I'm-going-to-kill-you-in-your-sleep kind of laugh, but a gee-that-kind-of-tickles kind of laugh. Which makes me angry, and is the reason I don't spank him much, because apparently I don't scare him at all when I do anyway. Now before you think I'm a child beater....

It is odd, I thought we were having an understanding yesterday. I was at church doing practice and the little guy didn't wake up from naps in time to get to church for evening service, so the boys stayed home without me. When I call to see if they need something from the store, Billy tells me they are writing out a list of chores that he can do to earn some money. Sounds quite benign. At this point, I am willing to bet that if I disappeared from this equation, Logan would be a happy little camper. We can do nothing right now, it seems, but butt heads and exchange bitter words.

He is only 10. He is absolutely not allowed to talk with me like he is my peer, or even my superior. I don't expect him to be a robot, but I do expect him to respect someone.

I did not make that psychologist appointment last week because I couldn't find the card. It is time to look again!