Luke is screaming because I took away the box with the model car inside it that Dad bought for them to put together tomorrow. He saw it and threw a fit when he learned he couldn't open it today, so I told him if he couldn't adjust his attitude I would take it away. He didn't, so I did, and he threw himself on the floor and the crying quickly escalated into angry screaming. When I told him he would get a time-out if he couldn't calm down, he just waved his arm at me disrespectfully. Time-out was officially called. He tried to slam the door on his way in, but Mom and Dad's house is pressurized with all the windows closed and the door hit the buffer of air before it hit the door frame. He is still screaming, fully venting his anger.
I feel like smacking him, but thankfully I can restrain myself long enough to realize that would make things worse.
And all this with a three and a half hour nap this afternoon. I thought that was wonderful, a good sign! Just like a relaxed day back home.
"Keep it up if you want a spanking, Luke!" I say down the hall, "You're on a time-out to adjust your attitude, but you're not working very hard at adjusting your attitude are you?" I ask through the door.
The screaming stops for a moment, considering. The door swings open slowly and a tear-stained, splotchy face looks up at me. "I'm ready to come out", he says with a hiccup. I explain what a good attitude looks like, "No pouting, no whining or screaming. Are you ready to have a cheerful demeanor?"
He nods, walks out the door and throws himself face-down on the floor.
"That looks like pouting to me", I say.
Suddenly a glaring, toothy, squinty smile tears across his face and he shouts, "I'm a cheerful demeanor! SEE?!"
I hope he didn't see my grin before I turned away.
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