Oh, you poor kid.

It seems like every day, I feel bad for Alden, for some reason.  Lately, he's been bringing it on himself.  I do feel bad for him today, as he sniffled and snuffled through getting dressed in his work clothes, to go do leaf cleanups with Irv and Luiz.

He had it fairly easy, this morning.  He was supposed to go with them anyway, that was part of the deal, surrounding this report card.  They felt bad, because it's rather cold today, and left him at home.  Well, he started in on his bullshit early.  He wanted to go visit a friend of his, and hassled me about it.  Every time he'd say her name, I would say "chores."  Then he'd come back with some smart answer.  Something like "I KNOW!" or, "I'm ALMOST DONE!"  with a huge 'tude.  I shrug.  I know he's being kind of a little shit, but whatever, he's not going anywhere.  Kendra, his friend, wasn't going to be home till after 2, anyway, so no rush,  We watched a movie together this morning, and I had him helping me tidy up the house (with more fucking 'tude).  It's kind of a slippery slope, with his mouthing off. I ignore it, and he gets worse and worse.  Well...Irv and Luiz come home for lunch and he turns the mouth on Irv.  Irv does not ignore it.

I got a call from his teacher, Thursday, and among other things, she said that he was mouthing off to her, which really surprised me.  It really is a slippery slope, with him and his mouth. He gets away with it to his grandmother, then he talks shit to me and Luiz, and we mostly ignore him...then he butts heads with his father.  Irv's like, major league.  Alden bitches at him, and now the kid is freezing, crying,  ass deep in leaves.

To make a long story short, Alden went from having a warm and peaceful morning, with him helping me idly around the house in between reading his book and watching a movie, anticipating going to see Kendra...to getting press-ganged into going out in the cold windy weather and do leaf cleanups with the men, all hopes of hanging out with his ladyfriend out the window.

I do feel bad, in a way, but what are ya gonna do? As he was weeping, and putting on his layers, I said "this could have been prevented, you know.  It's pretty simple.  Someone asks you do kindly do something, and you do it.  Without the blast-off commentary.  Then, we'll do nice things for you.  Without any bullshit."