Lunch?

I'm not sure what it is about Tyson recently, but he seems to be the one that I have the most to write about.

My kids have always been early risers.  It seems that their "clocks" are all set to wake at, or before 6:00am-- no matter what time they went to sleep the night before.  So, I have never had to wake my kids for school or church.  They wake up and watch tv quietly until our alarms go off.  I've set an alarm for Caden and Keilie to come and have family prayer with us before they leave for the bus at 7:10am, then I allow myself a few extra minutes in bed to think about my day.  Or sleep.  Whatever I need on that particular day.  When that alarm goes off at 7:35am, I call down for Shelby, Brennon, and Tyson to turn off all electronics and get ready for school.  They leave for school at 8:20am.  This is how it has been from the beginning of all "school days."

Tyson has now been going by this schedule for 1.5 school years.  However, recently he's been dilly-dallying more than he usually does.  It has always felt nice that when we tell our kids to get their shoes on, get ready for bed, get in the car, and so on, that they've hustled and just did what was asked.  So, with each situation, I have noticed it takes Tyson almost twice as long as the other kids.  Combined.  He takes forever to do anything.  Where they come home, empty their backpacks, hang them up (hopefully) and get going on their homework, Tyson seems to just be taking his backpack off.  Then he'll leave it on the floor.  Then it will take me three times asking him to pick it up.  Then it takes me getting angry with him.  By the time it's done, the kids are done with their homework, and ready for reading time.  It just seems that Tyson always lags behind.  By the time the kids get the rest of the night to do what they wish, Tyson still has stuff that needs to be done, and he complains that he can't do what Brennon or Shelby are doing.  It has become somewhat of a problem.

So, this morning, I called down to them to get ready.  I had an appointment on my calendar that happens to be for next week, but since I didn't know that first thing in the morning, I spent time getting ready myself.  By the time I walked downstairs, the kids had five minutes to leave.  I called out the time, telling them to wrap it up.  Tyson was upstairs, so I just assumed that he was getting the last of his stuff ready.  Two minutes to leaving, he comes down without socks or shoes on-- the others had their backpacks and coats on, ready to walk out the door.  He had to get his socks on, then had to go back upstairs to get his shoes.  I was frantic, I hate being late.  He came down and still needed to fill his backpack with school supplies.  I tersely asked him what the heck he had been doing-- "well, I had to eat, didn't I?"  By this time, he should have left 3 minutes ago.  As he was getting his coat on, he asked if it would be alright if he made his lunch.  Um................NO YOU CAN'T MAKE YOUR LUNCH NOW!!!!!

I sent him crying out the door without home lunch.  Life lesson: DO WHAT YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO WHEN YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO DO IT!  Plus, it wasn't like he'd be going hungry-- he can always have lunch at school, even if he hates it!  I shut the door on his bawling, feeling a little guilty for sending him to school upset.  I went into the kitchen to start my normal days' activities before leaving for my appointment 15 minutes later.  And then four minutes later the front door opened.....

"Mom, are you sure I can't make my lunch?"

ANGER!!!!  That kid should have been 10 minutes into his walk to school at that very moment!!  I yelled at him that I would make his stupid lunch and take it to school, and that he better run his little butt to catch up to Shelby and Brennon.  Oh, that kid!!!  He makes me feel all emotions.  You wouldn't guess it from his cute, innocent face, but that kid has the power to tick me off!  I left for my appointment, was embarrassed (and totally put out) to find out I had gotten the date wrong, came home to make that stupid lunch, and will take it to him soon.  If I had been a "good and caring mother" this morning, I would have just planned to take the kids to school, but I wanted to get a few things done in the kitchen, since my routine was being pushed around by that stupid appointment that didn't even happen today!  Instead, I sent my kid out the door bawling, then yelled at him to run instead of just helping him make his lunch and taking him, and just made a mess of the whole day.  How is it that the first day in many, many weeks that the sun is shining, our day starts out with tears?!  UGH!