Unpack, Nah!

After 1 1/2 months of playing cowboy and enjoying being an only child, Preston is back! He flew in last night, a day after Mason, Taylor and I flew back from California. He asked me a few days ago if I still looked the same. Well, I may still look the same but he doesn't. He's taller and bigger. There must be something about that Nebraska corn???

He was all decked out in his jeans, cowboy boots, hat and belt buckle when he came off the plane. A lady came up to me and said "Is he really only 7?" I said "yes" She said to me "He's quite the entertainer." I wasn't too sure what that meant and I wasn't sure if I really wanted to know. Should I say "thank you?" or "sorry?" But before I could even get a word out of my mouth she had walked away.

Since he's been home, he has been quite the pleaser. I feel like I nag my kids about showing respect to others and having good manners. Besides please, thank you and your welcome, we have tried to teach them to say "Yes ma'am" and "Yes sir" when talking to adults. And although a lot of the times I feel as if I am talking to a wall, except the walls I talk to have the capability to not only talk back but to roll its eyes, Preston has given me great hope the last 24 hrs.

He said to me at the airport, "Mom, I am using all the manners you taught me." After Taylor ignored what I asked her to do (realizing the attention wasn't on her) he proceeded to tell her "You need to please do what mom asked." Then while pushing Mason's stroller, a man was about to walk in front of him. Preston stopped and said "Go ahead sir." He must have said "Yes Ma'am" about 20 times before we even got home. He almost drove me crazy by being too perfect. I never thought I'd say that and I know it will haunt me shortly. But almost everything he's said since last night has included a respectful word of some kind. Being realistic, I know this perfect behavior won't last forever, but he has given me hope. My kids really do hear a nagging "broken record."

I have neglected the luggage that is spread out all over our rooms. And somehow my kids think that coming home from vacation is like having a green light to get into everything and then not have to put anything away. Instead of trying to take on the daunting task of cleaning, unpacking, disciplining and going crazy today, we left for the day and went swimming instead. When I told the kids that tomorrow we are going to stay home and get things unpacked and cleaned, Taylor said "Oh mom, tomorrow is Saturday and we are supposed to play from morning until night." The reality is, if it were any other day, her response would be the same. And if I hadn't just gotten back from 3 weeks of nonstop playing and could stand the mess for one more day, I could justify playing from morning until night one more day.