The rest of the story

GARAGE---check
PLAYROOM---check
BOYS ROOM---check

By 11pm tonight I had everything done. Including spray painting Pinewood Derby cars. Yes! There was a short break in there to run to the bank, Basketball game, Home depot for paint and dinner. But all done with those three things. Now if you had seen the rest of my list that isn't checked off. Darn it.... But the garage itself was a big one. Sebastian was such a trooper he help the whole 2 hours and we finished what I needed done. His response? The garbage men are going to hate us Monday.. He is sooooo right. I think I threw enough away for 2 garages. But I was so ready to purge the junk. I still have several boxes to go through but I wasn't quite ready for it today. So they are stacked nicely on the side of the garage.

I ran a short errand today and left Alex and Sebastian home with Malcolm and Cole. They were playing outside with neighborhood kids they just met along with the Margaret of our neighborhood. Does anyone remember Dennis the Menace? Well the neighbor across the street she is well I guess more like Dennis than margaret but I will just call her Margaret. She is just a bad and annoying. I try to see good in kids but sometimes she is a child that needs well.... Anyways, I thought I had taught my kids that when they know something is wrong not to do it. Evidently not enough. The neighborhood kids had evidently been ding dong ditching this couple across the street all day. Well my kids didn't go out until 1:30 or closer to 2pm. After I had torture them with cleaning. I leave and come home to find out the neighbor wanted to talk to me. I find out very quickly from Alex and Sebastian that the kids convince Alex to join in on their fun of bothering this poor man. He threw a tennis ball at his door. Really child!!!! What were you thinking... Oh wait that's right you weren't. This is a neighbor I have never met. I never see them outside etc. So of course our first time seeing and meeting him and his wife was this...
I take Alex and Sebastian to his house....
Alex; I am sorry for throwing what you said were rocks but they weren't I threw a tennis ball and I am sorry.
Man: Yes I know it was a tennis ball (he pulls out the tennis ball in a ziploc baggie--evidence with fingerprints) (he continues) I have pictures of you kids knocking and throwing this ball all morning....
Me: Sir, I am sorry he threw it at your door but they haven't been outside all day. They didn't come out until almost 2pm.
Man: I have pictures!
Me: when were they taken?
Man's wife: after 2pm.
(oh boy this man is livid I mean scarey like he could punch a wall scarey)
Man: by the way I am /..... shakes my hand.
ok
Me: I have been trying to teach them that just because someone tells you to do something you don't do it. And especially when you know it is wrong.
Man: Yes, I know that "Margaret" was involved and probably is the ring leader....
Me: did you talk to her parents?
Man: No, her mom won't do anything and her mom doesn't want step dad to know he's a cop and he I think is the real discipline person.
Me;ok ( a little puzzled at that answer) Sir, if you would like when it gets warmer I can have them (alex and sebastian) come help pull weeds... I look around to see if there is any..(his wife giggles looking at yard...TONS!
Man: no that isn't necessary. I just want them to know that I didn't appreciate it..
( I am thinking no I wouldn't either)
Man eventually calms down. I offer my slave labor again. No takers.
Me: Again I apologize it won't happen again. He shakes the boys hands and we leave.
Boy oh boy...
The boys get the lecture of their life about peer pressure and right from wrong on the way to the basketball game.
Oh I walk across the street to Margaret's house and tell her father the situation. I will be darn if my boys will be the only ones getting into trouble over this. ( I know that was bad but hey she was the ring leader and it is not the first time)

Really don't you remember ding dong ditch as a kid? I am sure we all annoyed the hell out of someone or another. These kids just really got hold of the wrong one. I could kill them.

They won their basketball game today. You would have thought you were watching a college game. This team they played was ruthless. What was worse the refs were terrible. Seriously they had hands all over the boys. I laughed and Eve and I were what is this hug the opposite team. Hands rapped around waist etc. It was badd. I tell you BAD! There was a couple that were fouling big time. Not little oh sorry I hit the wrist but WHAM! hope you don't need that eye.... OR how about the last one When BOOOM! Take that Alex in the stomach and ribs with his elbow and whole body. Knocked him to the ground out crying on the ground unable to get up from a sitting position. As a mom it was all I could do not to run onto the court. Finally he gets up hobbles to the bench and is still crying. That is it... the nurse/mom kicks in and I say I am going to check on him. So I preceed to the bench right as the refs say can he shoot his free throws. There was only about one and half minutes left. He goes shoots is free throw in pain you can tell. Then he gets mad and plays the rest of the game. You could see it in his face I will show you. No he didn't foul them but ran his butt off. They won 24 to 14.
I could not believe the nerve of those kids and refs. UGH!! Eve says" if I was the mom I would be over there telling the ref how bad they were."
Me: Honey you can't. No I can't do it during the game they would throw me out.
Eve in the car to Sebastian: Man if that had been me out there I would have shown them a thing or too.
Sebastian: you can't.. You have to play fair.
Me: Eve you have to be a good sport and that is what the boys were doing.
Eve: I wouldn't..
End of conversation. Hmmm maybe I shouldn't let her play sports in middle school. Can you see her being fouled in basketball. Girls are worse than boys. :)
We had a really good dinner tonight. I took mom and the kids to Golden Corral. Yes where do you take 4 growing boys... All you can eat buffet.:)
So I was walking in the restaurant and saw a Man who had to be a farmer... I think as I look at him in his overalls with the side buttons unbuttoned. Hmmm
" How do you know a farmer has eaten too much"
So I take my joke back to the table. The answers I wasn't sure where they came from.
His teeth.. was one? Don't ask
Ummmm were about the rest.
So I say when he has undone his side buttons.
I don't think Eve quite understood it since she barely knows what overalls were. Mom asked if I made that one up.
I explained the reason behind the joke and Malcolm and her seemed to appreciate it.
Hey I thought it was funny... I guess I get my humor from my dad.. ( a little question to whether it is real humor or not)
Well, I should be in bed cleaning. ( Yes I wrote this and left it because I still have cleaning on my brain that I will probably dream about it too.)
Oh I am so glad I have older boys. Not having a husband translate to situations like this....

Since we spray painted the cars in the garage I left the door up part way for a while tonight. Later than I like. So every night I always check the doors etc. Well the garage door was shut and I finished walking the rest of the house. Then I went into Malcolm and Cole's room.
Me: crazy question but can I have one of you go with me into the garage and help me check to make sure there isn't anyone in there?
Boys: Sure... (seriously no questions asked.) cole grabs his pocket knife which he pulled out of his hiding place..
I explain to Cole as we walk down the stairs that even though I locked the garage door into the house the attic door in the garage goes up to the door into the playroom. Totally freaking me out.... Cause I know all night I would worry with every noise I hear. He had the tennis racket and made me carry the knife. NO kidding... Not opened though. We check the garage in every corner... DONE!
I feel much better.
Leaving the garage he says... Mom you wouldn't have to worry the paint fumes are so bad in the garage that if anyone had been in there and never been high then they would be sooo high they couldn't function. (and he laughs and goes back to his room)

Only my Cole.... But it is nice to have older boys... I guess that is what I get for watching the recording of Ghost whisper before I go to bed.

Off to bed...