Or should mom just stop looking and consider it a lost cause that he will sneak to school and either sell for cash or trade for something else and just pay the dimwitted babysitter her money back while telling her AGAIN that no no no on buying the manipulative child anything that costs more than $5.

This sounds the least crazy-making for mom. In my totally inexperienced opinion.

For the record: I am not wearing red or plaid and have no intentions of driving anywhere tonight.

Phew!

And in a separate post, because msbelle posted while I was loving on the Dowager Duchess,

Holy shit, that's awful. Also, what megan said, including the part about the bourbon and ginger.

I so desperately want to find it, but I think that is what the therapist refers to as "seeing it as a win/lose situation when it isn't". Pfft! Clearly if I do not find it, I lose. shakes fists!!!

If I thought the bourbon would help me get to sleep, I might, but I have no ginger ale.

Go for the straight bourbon, msbelle. And give up on finding the game. Instead, unless it's too confrontational, check through his backpack every day after school for a while?

I so desperately want to find it, but I think that is what the therapist refers to as "seeing it as a win/lose situation when it isn't". Pfft! Clearly if I do not find it, I lose.

I think you lose if you keep stressing about it. Give this skirmish up in the interest of winning the war. And have a shot of bourbon, seriously. I hope you get some rest.

I do vote for object lesson to the babysitter of no reimbursement.

If she's been told not to buy him DS games, she deserves no reimbursement.

I hate working on DH's laptop. I am mourning the loss of all the half-written columns I had started and now have to scrape together from my memory.

I should really back up my files.

Gads, msbelle. I'm with Amy-- go for the bourbon.

And I'm so proud of myself-- there was some asshattery whining on a writing board about how hard a time this poor debut author was having with giving up her anonymity and most of all, the control over her book. After all, people know who she is now and they're going to be reading her novel and judging it and bringing their own interpretations to it and what if it's not what she wants them to think??

I walked away rather than engage. Because really? What else is there to say?

I would probably pay the babysitter if she's a good one and she was expecting to be paid back. As for the game, I would stop looking and pretend you don't care. I get the win/lose thing because o often feel the same way. If the kid thinks they "won" then it is sort of win/lose. So I guess you have to act like you don't care so they don't think they won. He's still short one DS needed to play the game.

Oh, and msbelle, I got my question answered so never mind that email I sent you a couple weeks ago.

Sorry I never got back to you.

I am having the bourbon.

The babysitter has been told not to buy him special things, but she didn't see this as the same because she was treating him for having a good report card, another thing we do not do. She was really emotional about witnessing him have a fit though, so I think she "gets" it now.

still filled with rage. I may have to go sleep in his bed.