Yep, that's me. I am the professional fun-sucker of my clan. I am always concerned about safety, always saying "be careful" and always finding something else that needs to be done - especially when my family has carefully and comfortably positioned themselves on the couch in front of the television.
I didn't bite on the comment even though there is a whole litany I could let loose on this very accomplished son of mine. Finding the balance between pushing our kids too hard and not pushing hard enough challenges me on a regular basis. My children have made me very proud countless times, but that doesn't buy them a pass on daily chores. Years ago, when Taylor was in high school, I might have popped right back at her, setting that bar of pleasing me just a step higher. I might not have considered that it was the night "before the biggest test of her life" (although she rarely looked at tests the same way Wade Garrett does). I probably pushed too hard and created an emotional mess all over clothes on the floor or a dirty tub.
No, tonight I held my tongue and savored the laughter my son and I shared. I kept getting the answers right to the questions he had missed. When he caught me in a subject-verb agreement error earlier this week, he lost no time taking to twitter to put me "on blast". So on my third correct answer and irrefutable explanation tonight as we studied, I asked him if he were going to announce to twitter that his mom was right. He replied incredulously, "You are supposed to get these right."
Ha. If he only knew my SAT scores, he would not let me help him! He is one of the those kids who usually only misses one. I don't know what missing just one feels like - on anything. I can have empathy for missing ten, for missing fifteen; I can have a high five for only missing five - but to just miss one - I stand in foreign territory.
No, I think I will wait for the responsibility conversation when he has less on the line, when emotions aren't running high, when the organic sarcasm we love so much hasn't been so soothing. His sister, had I shared with her his mouth tonight, would have been quick to remind me that this is all my fault. She was adamant that the boy was spoiled beyond repair and that I was never that good to her. I sure wish she were here so I could prove her wrong. We all do.
Leave no doubt, Wade Garrett!!
#bestrongandcourageous
#golighttheworld