Oh, right, I forgot she was gone. Sucks that she's gone while all this is happening, although of course it's good she's getting some time with her dad.

Maybe have a conversation with him about consequences and let the consequence be something other than Legoland, explaining that the reason why is other people.

When I was a kid and I did something wrong, I used to get so upset that I would lie or cry or breakdown, all of which he did today. I hated the idea of disappointing the people that I loved.

What pains me is to consider that he felt that way today. He has a big well of guilt in general. But he also needs a consequence.

Sometimes the consequence really can be feeling all of that, especially if he wasn't throwing the rock at another kid purposely.

When I was in 4th grade I lied to my mom. She made me look up what the word "trust" meant in the dictionary and told me she couldn't trust me again. I still remember this.

It's a horrible feeling. It's the one thing I've never been able to change in Jake -- he lies on first instinct most of the time, and it just baffles me, because 95% of the time it backfires on him anyway.

Which is not to suggest that will happen to Noah, though! Jake is sort of ... special.

I know I often have the mind of a 17 year old male, but SERIOUSLY...these are phrases used multiple times a day at my place of work. Just read them and see how hard I have to work to not make "that's what he/she said" jokes and/or just be generally rude

- Can you turn on the 6 inch?
- I/he/guy's name is blowing him off
- We're almost done blowing off
- How many am I gonna have to blow today?
- He'll blow that load.
- I've got the 6 inch going.

My two kids are totally different. Casper has a minor sneaky streak (about candy especially), but I think can be honest when necessary. Dillo is totally transparent - he has like no guile in his entire body - and is so obsessed with fairness right now. For example, as we were getting changed for soccer last night Casper came down with a candy in her mouth - she'd gotten a candy bag at a birthday party over the weekend, not said anything about it, and hidden it in her room. Dillo freaked hard about how unfair this is. In the course of the 20 minutes spent calming him down, he confessed that when I go to the basement to do laundry, he and Casper each eat a sugar cube. He was very clear that it was her idea (which, duh) but he was very guilty about the fact that he had gone along with this scheme! (I was not angry. If sneaking a sugar cube is the naughtiest thing they can think of, I am okay with that.)

mac has kinda learned that lying will backfire, so what he does now when he knows the truth is not a great thing is to go silent. He is quickly learning that is not gonna fly with me either.

"I did this thing."

Bam, there you go kid. easy. and done. 1 consequence.

Lie or don't answer me? You win the prize of hearing me go on for a bit. and now you get 2 consequences.

Watching Scandal finale. Whiplash from watching all of the West Wing.

I just had to run out and buy contact lens solution because I suddenly realized that, while I had checked last night to see if I had enough travel size solution, I didn't actually pack any.

I travel enough that I got complacent about my packing skills.