There was resistance to the reading, but they both got into it after a few rounds of firm encouragement. Both of my children like reading, but it seems like work when it's assigned and they like to object in various ways. My daughter doesn't like the particular book or wants to read something we don't have in braille format. My son starts books but then doesn't want to finish them, preferring to move on to another book. My son can't sit still—at all—and would probably devour seven books a week if he could wiggle around, flip and bounce off sofas at the same time.
The plan was to read until 2:00, then get into their swimsuits and when Blake arrived, they would go to the pool for the two-hour slot my husband had reserved earlier in the day. I went upstairs to help my daughter, who wasn't so sure she wanted to go to the pool now that she was done reading. When Blake arrived she told him—hostilely—that she was only going to the pool for the sortest amount of time possible because she wanted to get back to her audiobook.
My son had for some reason thought it was a good idea to go to the basement and start playing Minecraft at 2:00, even though he had to be ready at 2:10 when Blake arrived. Disengaging him from the game was, for once, not that hard, making me think the groundings of late had made a positive impression on him. He had certainly been polite and used respectful words with me all day.
His sister had been the same, not using angry words when I paused Alexa and saying thank you and please a lot. She was the sweet child I know she can be all morning. But now that her bathing suit was on, she was angry, rude, and threatening, saying we couldn't make her go to the pool. I had tried to help her with several things and put up with it to a point, but then I snapped. Blake, realizing he'd better get the three of them out of the house and to the pool said he'd take over right after I grounded my daughter for an hour when she returned (with no Alexa).
My son was mad suddenly too. Why is it they want to go to the pool and then when it's time to go they lose their minds? My husband came in earshot and starting asking the children what was going on? I shit the door to the craft room (yes, I'm still working on the craft room) and thought they'd gone when my son flung open the door and said to me, "mom, I know you're only sending us to the pool because you want to get rid of us so you can have your own time, but..."
I don't remember what the 'but' was, but it wasn't the part I cared about. I realized my son thought we were trying to get rid of them. We weren't. I mean, yes, I can get a lot more done when they're not around because I got virtually nothing done in the morning and I had things to do for the day. I told him that wasn't it. I didn't want him thinking we didn't want them around or that we were pawning them off on a sitter. We were sending them to the pool to have fun and to get some physical activity. I think he believed me, but at that moment, he just wanted to try one last thing to see if he could get out of going to the pool.
They went to the pool and had fun like they always do with Blake. It's this strange pattern of wanting to go, hating going, and then loving swimming. It baffles me.
The Grounding Again Update: Upon returning home from the pool the children came in and I heard loud voices. They were both so angry and my son was doing the best he could do to insult Blake without actually insulting him because that would be another consequence. My daughter sweetly apologized for her pre-pool behavior but was deflated, mad even, that the apology didn't get her out of her hour in her room. My son was so furious at Blake, saying he was never going to listen to him again and he had no authority over him, yelling back at his father and refusing to go in his room, that he was grounded until dinner. They hate being grounded and losing Alexa. It's been a rough few days for them, but they're learning valuable lessons and it's starting to pay off.
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