Finally Friday
You know how frazzled I am? I didn’t even realize I had pictures from our trip on the camera until I took some quilt block pictures today. I didn’t take many pictures because it was just not a picture taking kind of trip and my kids looked like rug rats most the time, but there are a few if you want to click through that picture up there. That was taken on one of the days when it was in the high 50s so we weren’t wearing our coats. Oh, for the days of high 50s! Today was cooler here–our outdoor thermometer only got up to 102 in direct sunlight. Yesterday it got up to 112.
Today was the last day of preschool camp, so I’m on my own with Erik all next week. He has officially been grounded from going outside by himself so it will be a long, long week next week.
There were some strange little boys playing outside tonight and Erik glommed on to them as he’s wont to do. Kid does not have a shy bone in his body.
One of the kids had a bike and the other didn’t, so Erik took out one of his bikes for them to use (plus his scooter). I knew the kids were bold when one of them knocked on the door and told me to make Erik share his scooter. I guess I’m mean, but I don’t make Erik share his ride-on toys with kids. In fact, I prefer if he doesn’t share. The other kids just tear his things up (not that he is an angel, but the more kids who use things the more wore out the things get).
It was pretty hot so suddenly Erik ran in the house and these two boys followed him. I said “no way, absolutely not” and explained that they can’t come in because I don’t know their parents and their parents don’t know us or where they are.
I thought that was the end of it, but Erik decided he would go to their house to introduce himself to their mom. They don’t live on our street. They live behind us, so basically you have to go down a really steep hill and through a patch of woods to get to their house. If Erik were a couple of years older I wouldn’t care, but at the moment he is not allowed to go down there and he knows it.
Not only did he do that, but the kids took his extra bike and gave it to some other kid.
So Mike and I were chasing all over the neighborhood looking for Erik then looking for this bike.
Now Erik’s grounded.
I guess you can judge me for letting Erik play outside by himself, but we do live in a very safe neighborhood. There is only one entrance for cars. Our community backs into a guarded government campus so I don’t really fear anything from that direction. I am pretty sure the fences back there are monitored with security cameras. Basically the fear of strangers is nil.
But of course Erik is a child. He is only five and has some spectacularly bad judgment sometimes. Obviously I keep an eye on what’s going on out there and check on him quite often, but I guess it’s not enough. He is going to be totally crying next week because I’m not going outside if it’s hotter than the surface of the sun and he’s not going outside for 30 seconds without me.
Bah.
But I am going to hug him close and let him know I love him. I just read some really horrible news about a family that is going through hell after their baby girl had meningitis. You never know when life will be snatched away. It could happen to anyone. I need to remember that when I get so mad at the boy for being a boy.
But for now. . . bed. Elsa didn’t puke last night! We all got a good night’s sleep! I’m hoping the trend continues. If only that girl would eat something, especially something resembling a fruit or vegetable, I’m sure that would help her immune system. I can’t even get her to drink juice. I never, ever would have tried to get Erik to drink juice because I was so worried about his teeth (my sister had major problems with her teeth because she drank a ton of apple juice). With Elsa I’m willing to give her anything to get non-boobilicious nutrients in her little body.