Very short entry tonight, folks. I"m tired and don't have a whole lot of time to write tonight. *chuckles* I'm sure you'll survive it.

I was at my sister's all day. Watching her children. *rolls her eyes* They were wonderful today, which really surprised me... but I'm still completely run down. I feel like the energizer bunny after running through the gay-pride parade. (think about it... pink, furry, bangs a drum... It's funny... trust me)

Okay, so it's obvious that my humor is sliding down into the nether regions... so sue me. NO... don't... I don't get paid enough to get sued. Besides, you'd have to take a number and you'd be irritated that it took so long to get me into litigation... it's just a far better idea to let me slide... just this once. Next time too.

*chuckles quietly*

Alright, all of you can tell I'm tired now.

I had a real good RP session last night, and it lasted til nearly 1:30 in the morning. Which is a good thing on any other night. Unfortunately, I had to be up at 6 this morning in order to be through with Uncle Bob's diary entry, checking Email, and then dressed.

I did get to talk to Mosh this morning, which was way cool. I highly reccomend that you folks get to know him. Take the chance to dance within the mind of such a man... It would be a truly marvelous experience.

Um

Oh yeah... the kids...

They were actually very, very marvelously behaved today. Which was a shock. I did have to speak with my nephew about the way he's been treating his cousin. (major age differences here) Damian is 8. Jodie (the cousin/my niece) is 20. Jodie's been babysitting the little munchkins Tuesday and Thursday nights, while Yvonne attends her "heavy" classes (physics and algebra). Damian's been a real hell raiser, almost literally speaking, when Jodie watches them. She doesn't have the same history with that little truent-wannabe that I do. *grins wickedly*

See, a few years back, I was watching the kids between 8 and 12 hours a day, five days a week. Damian would have quite a few outbursts... and I don't mean those little "I want candy in the store" kind of outbursts... I mean the "I'm going to kill you, damn it... I hate you I hate you I hate you" kind of outbursts. He has a few issues. I just hope he doesn't grow up to be like Flatline. *grins*

Regardless... back when I was watching the kids daily, Damian started the six month stint with an outburst at least once daily.... after about a week, he toned it down to about two a week... for two weeks. After that, he would pop off with some major attitude crap two or three times a month. Now? Maybe once every other month... if that.

He still has outbursts and throws tantrums with his Mom... but not with me. He just doesn't do that anymore. *smiles sweetly*

Now, part of the reason for that is purely intimidation. *bats her eyelashes* Cmon, think about it... You're six years old, cussin up a storm, pissed as all hell for whatever reason and words just aren't in your vocabulary. *chuckles* The only thing you really respond to is someone who is bigger and more powerful. Enter Aunt Jennifer. 6'1" 470 lbs (at that time) and very, very, very loud voice.

I also had no compunctions against spanking his ass. YES, I am a firm believer in corporal punishment. There are different correction methods for every individual. Some people respond really well to a raised voice. Some people respond quite well to scolding. Some people (me) respond really well to body language (ie: frowning, "the look", and disappointment of the peer/authority figure). Still others respond to nothing but physical contact.

Brandace (the almost-ten-year-old niece) responds really well to a little bit of scolding with the body language thrown in. Damian on the other hand, only responds to physical contact, or the threat of such (from a person he KNOWS will follow through).

For instance... about two years ago I was taking Damian with me to a church thing. He wanted to go, but he wanted to go with his Mom. *chuckles* No dice, babe, your Mom's sick. So, I was gonna take him. He was fine with that until I got there to pick him up. He was screaming bloody murder when I got there. And I am not exagerating in the slightest. This child was screaming so loud that the people across the "hiway" (small town, it's just a two lane hiway) in the convenience store parking lot were staring, wondering if he were being ripped apart.

His mother was holding onto his wrist... that's the only contact she had with him... he was kicking and trying to bite her. *shakes her head* I asked if she wanted to keep him home. She said he'd asked to go, so he was going. A little cause and effect lesson, I suppose. So, we got him into my car and seat-belted in and I got in, started driving off and he started screaming louder, inside the car that kind of reverberates quite loudly. he was red-faced from his vehement protestations... and I was ignoring it... or rather, I told him, in a very quiet, calm voice... "You can scream all you want to, I'm not taking you back. You wanted to go, so we're going."

I suppose that's Damian-ese for "You're going to die now" cause he started screaming louder, and then, started pounding on the passenger window. And I don't mean some little, innocent six-year-old-strength pounding... I mean, all out "I'm breakin the fuck out, bitch" pounding.

*smiles sweetly*

So, I pulled over about half a mile from the house... he settled down just a little cause he thought I was going to turn around and take him home... I'm sure the thought that was going through his mind was something akin to... "Heh... I won. Bite me, bitch."

However, I stopped the car, turned off the ignition (without saying a word), took my keys, went around to his side, opened the door, pulled him out of the seatbelt, put him belly down over the roof of the car, with his little butt at about shoulder level to me... I pulled down his sweats and spanked his ass... probably five times... hard. My hand stung. I set him back on the seat, belted him in, closed his door and went around to my side. Started up and drove off again.

He sniffled.

He was quiet.

So, Damian and I have history. *chuckles* Besides, I'm big and strong enough to pick him up, carry him into his room, flop him down on his bed and then leave, without a word... and when he tries to jerk open his door, I'm there... "You gonna be nice?" Usually greeted by cursing and whining. Then I close the door, speaking through it... "Then you're staying in there til you can be nice."

I'll put up with just so much... but when he crosses the line, he gets one warning. After that, he either get's swatted, or he gets physically hauled into his room, tossed (gently) on his bed and left there to fuss and cry and pitch a fit.

Well... so Jodie has been having trouble with him. He's been pitchin fits every night she babysits. She doesn't like it. One night she had to call dad (Grampa to both she and Damian) and dad had to talk with Damian... that worked for that night, but he's still pitchin fits.

So, we talked this morning. Jodie and I. And she asked for advice. I told her that when he pitches a fit, to either send him to his room, or pick him up bodily and put him in his room. She says that when she does that, he destroys everything in his room, rips the blinds down and everything...

*chuckles* I told her... "Let him."

This is the thing... He destroys the blinds, his Mom comes home and sees the destroyed blinds, paddles his butt if necessary, case closed... no more destroyed blinds. This happend a time or two with Damian and I. I back up his Mom and she backs me up.

Jodie is the kind of person (wants to be a mom Soooooooooo bad) who wants everything to be nice and sweet and gentle. She will most likely have children who respond to a stern word and body language. She does not deal well with problem children like Damian.

But me? Hell, I grew up with Damian's father. *laughs* I know exactly what to expect, and I know exactly what stops the foul behavior.

When Damian gets a spanking, after he's cooled down, he gets a hug and asked... "Do you know why you got a spanking?" Most of the time now, he can tell exactly why. If he doesn't know, then he's told the specific behavior which garnered the spanking.

It works.

But, Jodie... she's so sweet. *chuckles* Jodie's really good with kids like Brandace who respond with a little whining when corrected, but change their behavior rather quickly. Jodie just needs to set her boundries, make sure Damian knows them, and follow up instantly when the boundry is crossed.

I had a point there somewhere but I got sidetracked and I'm too tired to actually go back through and figure out what I want to do.... or wanted to do.

Eh... I'll write a more interesting entry some other day.

Night folks.... I'm out