She's done it again

Despite my (and perhaps her) best efforts, Anna Marie got into trouble again today at school.

Fortunately, there was no call from the teacher. I'd been holding my breath all day.

I had told her that if she stayed on "green" all day, she could go with me to an event at one of the schools tonight. When Jason picked her up, she asked him to bring her by the office so she could talk to me.

"How was school?" I asked.

"First, I need to talk to you in the back," she said. So we went to the back part of the building, where my office used to be. And she broke the news.

"I got on yellow today."

"Then you aren't going with me tonight."

Commence the water works.

I did ask her what she got into trouble for. Apparently, even when these kids lose their recess time, they still have to go outside - they just sit on the sidelines and watch the other kids play. Talk about punishment! Well, when it was time to line up and go back inside, guess who didn't follow the directions.

Yep. You guessed it.

"I did not know I would have to move my bee for that!" she cried. "I just knew I was going to stay on green today. I just knew!"

And, since recess is like 9:30 in the morning, she'd had to think about telling me all day long.

I went outside to the Jeep to look in her backpack. Today was progress report day, and, inexplicably, she got a good report.

Guess those must've been made out last week.

I started feeling really bad about the staying home punishment. And thinking that it would really be a punishment for Jason, would would most likely have to hear her cry the whole time I was gone.

I asked her if she'd take a spanking in lieu of staying home, and she agreed. I told her to go home, get her spanking (from Jason - let HIM be the bad guy this time) and do her homework. And, if she did everything, and I mean everything her dad told her to do, then maybe she'd earn back the privilege of going with me.

(She said she'd just keep crying, so that when she got the spanking, she'd already be started.)

I am such a pushover! And, Jason is really going to owe me for saving him from her tonight. Although, she is being punished. Just not in the way I originally set forth. One day I'll get this whole punishment business down pat. I guess.

When, oh when, does this parenting thing get easier?