In Which The Threat is Made

This blog is, after all The Story of My Life.  So I guess if I take my kid to jail I need to write about it, eh?

Chapter 1

Remember how I said when Doug was gone it was a really long week?  I wasn't joking.  See, it all started last Saturday...

(cue flashback music.)

Saturday  (Day 5 of Doug's absence) :

I had a baby shower to go to and while I was gone, there was a little...incident.

Our friend and neighbor Janelle was babysitting.  She's a senior this year.  She's mature.  She's competent.  She has 4 younger siblings.  She doesn't take any nonsense from pip-squeaks.  And she cleans my house.

I put "Mega Mind" on the computer and left hoping the kids would just chill and let Janelle do my dishes or something!

Things were going well until Sam started picking a fight with Max.  Nothing big, just some annoying teasing.  No big deal--until she tried to put him in "time-out".

Sammy's response was to have one of his nuclear melt-downs.  Now, these have become standard fare around here lately, but this is the first time Bammers has subjected a babysitter to his weeping, wailing, knashing of teeth and physical assault.  (And did I mention throwing things?  He threw the lid to the toy box across the room and shattered it.)

He unleashed on Janelle.

Evidently, she kept calm, and eventually (she said he yelled for about 30 minutes) got Sammy calmed down and left him in his room "until your mother gets home!"

When I finally did come home we all talked about it.  Sammy said sorry and gave Janelle a hug.  After she left I had him write and deliver an apology letter.  Then I mentioned the following:

"It is not okay to hit or hurt people.  In fact, Janelle could have called the police because you were attacking her.  It's called 'assault'.  It's not okay.  If you attack anyone again, I'LL call the police."

I'm not big on idol threats.

When I said it, I meant it.