MeandO's money-shuffling

Smudgeismydog

Completely agree with Arty’s comments about this phase of pushing you away being part of their teenage evolution towards independence.

The other thing I remember being told is that they will push the boundaries the hardest with the one person they know won’t ever abandon them. Unfortunately, this means you will get the worst of his behaviour, because he actually feels his relationship with you is his safest. I’m not sure that necessarily makes it easier, certainly with my son, it was so hard, as I have, and will always be, his biggest champion (I was widowed when he was 4).

You are doing a great job, just keep showing up for him, and you will both get through this x

MeandO

Thank you Arty, Skint_Yet_Again and Smudgeismydog.

Arty, the dehumidifier is definitely doing something in that it’s collecting a lot of water. It’s relatively small in size but seems powerful and much more economical than the ancient one I have upstairs which was given to me by my parents. They moved house 10 years ago now and had no need for it in their new (super warm & dry) bungalow they bought compared to the not very well insulated big house we all grew up in, so the old one must be at least 15 years old. I’d definitely recommend one for ridding a house of too much moisture and maybe helping dry the clothes ever so slightly more quickly! The one I bought had a good housekeeping or which recommendation - can’t remember which - and is a 12L one so compact but effective.

Your bread and water comment made me laugh! Perhaps I should keep a notebook of the best teen anecdotes I get, I think I may be able to write a book soon.

Smudge, that must have been extremely hard being widowed when DS was 4. You sound much like me in being your son’s biggest cheerleader. It is so hard when they seem to turn against us. The hardest part for me is not knowing what I’m supposed to have done to deserve it, but I’m starting to realise I may not have actually done anything other than be here and breathing!
Oh what fun this is. 😑

Well, tonight has been….quiet. I lit a nice scented candle and I did the craft thing! If you’ve heard of Book Nooks you’ll know what I’m talking about when I say I’ve been building a model of a bookshop in a book. It has little lights and everything!
When I was a child/young tween I used to love making little models of buildings like shops, houses and stations that I used to buy from model shops after saving my pocket money. I think they were for train sets really, but I just loved the buildings. It was the first hint at my love of architecture and houses and I went onto study 3D design. One more year at uni and I could have been a qualified architect, but I made the wrong decision there and have regretted it ever since. ANYWAY, there are little china buildings and houses all over my house now I’m an adult and I love anything with a house or building on it. One of my favourite possessions is one of the very first KLM dutch houses, made as a prototype to the sets they later started to give away on KLM flights. It belonged to my Grandad and still has the alcohol in it as the seal has never been removed.
I’ve gone off on a tangent again… So I started making the model bookshop tonight. I spent 2.5 hours on it and loved every minute! I can’t wait to do some more tomorrow. :)

As predicted, I only saw DS again when he surfaced for more food. He still had the blasted headphones on and was pretending he couldn’t hear me, so I offered to make him his favourite pancakes, to which I saw him pause, and could see the look of regret at faux deafness spread across his face. He knew he couldn’t break cover!
He made himself a yogurt (will need to buy more again soon 🙄) and fruit bowl, but the flipping raspberries I picked up from Asda yesterday were mouldy before even being opened and still in date again. They are terrible for it. I was going to take them back, but it’s really not worth the drive and I won’t have chance tomorrow.
So DS just had blueberries and banana tonight. He did speak to my Mum when I waved the phone at him and he asked her how she was and sent her love and a ‘get well soon’, so that was nice to hear. He sat in the same room as me to eat his bowl of goodness which I was surprised about, and almost smiled at me when I was laughing at him singing out loud, but then he remembered he was supposed to be angry with me, so went back to grumping and back to his room!

I’ve bid him goodnight now and am in my bed after having a shower. He didn’t really reply but didn’t tell me to go away or get out of his room, so it’s a start…

Hopefully tomorrow’s a better day!

Night all x