Time to WAKE UP!

Overall I have two of the SWEETEST boys ever, but occasionally, they do engage in behavior that just stops me in my tracks and makes me say, "Are you kiddin' me?" One such experience occurred just barely. Let me back track a little. This week was my last and final week of Kindergarten. A little bitter sweet and completely crazy, hectic. Well, as usual, the night before graduation day, I was up doin' last minute projects. My head finally hit the pillow at around 2:30 a.m.! Needless to say, I had the adrenaline rush to get me through the actual event this morning, but by the time school was out, I was DONE! We made it home by about 2:15 this afternoon and I mentioned to the boys that I needed to get some more sleep. I told them they could go downstairs and either watch a movie or play game cube (something they were completely stoked about!) so that I could go catch up on my ZZzzzZZZzzzs. I set the kids up, offered them snacks and then, without further delay, I washed my face, stripped off my work duds and fell into bed. Fast forward a couple of hours. I woke up to a constant string of doorbell rings and I sluggishly rose from bed to let my boys in (I was about to get mad at them for going outside when I told them to stay downstairs). Well, it was NOT my boys. I was a little shocked to see my neighbor (who lives just below us) standing on my step. She asked me if I knew that my boys had been throwing giant rocks into her backyard?!?!?!?!? (Here goes. . .) "ARE YOU KIDDING ME????" First of all, where are those rug rats and second of all, is this any way to wake up from a nap? I apologized and told my neighbor that I would be handling the situation and that I was grateful no one got hurt and no windows were broken (man those kids are DEAD)! So, I shut the door and I called out to those boys for a good five minutes. They were nowhere (man, those kids are WORSE than dead)! I got dressed and headed outside calling their names. After no luck, I came back in and saw them sitting on the stairs. They looked SOOOO scared! Now, keep in mind, my boys are NOT young anymore. They are generally very decent and amazing little people. It was completely catching me off guard to even be having this conversation with them (well, Conner I have had some conversations like this, but Lewis? No way). I had no idea that either of them could be capable of such a thing. Well, we walked back into the backyard and there was the evidence, right there on the lawn. Twenty or so rocks in various sizes. I handled the situation in three steps. First, they had to clean up the mess. Second they had to walk to our neighbor's house and apologize/offer to clean up their yard. Third, they were to listen to a lecture from me and then wait for their dad to come home to give them their punishment. My lecture was a doozy (heck, I would have been scared to ever even PICK UP a rock ever again after my lecture) it included a wide range of scenarios to scare the livin' daylights out of them; "What if you would have hit our neighbor's little girl? What if you would have hit our neighbor? Do you have enough money in your piggy banks to pay for broken windows?" etc. etc. I also mentioned to Lewis how disappointed I was in him for not realizing that what they were doing was wrong and stopping it. Heck. He is almost EIGHT, the age of accountability. He should be on top of this kind of stuff. Anyway, following the lecture, I had the kids wash up and come sit down for dinner. It was a very solemn mood at the table and Steve had still not come home for dinner, so the boys were still in a state of "unknown." I asked Lewis to offer the blessing on the food. It was the sweetest little prayer I've ever heard. I will try to recall it here: "Dear Kind Heavenly Father, we're so thankful for this day (insert shaky little voice here). Please help us to be good and do what's right (insert sniffles and tears here). Please help us to not ever do what we did ever again. Help us to choose the right. Bless this food, we're so thankful for it. We say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen." Goodness! (insert mom giving her sweet little boys a hug and kiss right here) those kids were SORRY! So, a few minutes later Steve came home and I dropped the bombshell (he could tell by the long faces something was up before I even said anything). Of course, he flipped out when he heard the details. The punishment he suggested was a little harsh (taking away all Pokemon cards and ripping them up!) But after he simmered down a bit, he decided to take them away and the boys are currently trying to earn them back.
So, there it is. Another lengthy post from a day in our lives! No shortage of excitement around here! Oh, and of course, there is always a lesson to be learned in every situation right? Well, this time, the lesson was for me. No matter HOW old your kids are, you will NEVER be able to take a nap EVER until they are all grown up and move away to college (insert big yawn here).