Day 243

Today Robert and I didn't see eye to eye at all! The day started off OK, I took Richard to Kindergarden and Robert got started on his homework. He had quite a bit and one part of it was copying a poem and then reading that and learning it off by heart. He started out by asking if he could copy it later, and that was OK by me, so we both went in the lounge where I let him watch TV whilst I did the ironing. After two programmes, I told him it was time to turn the TV off, and to go and get his poem and read it to me! And that is where the trouble began!!!
I thought he would enjoy doing that, he had almost my undivided attention (I was ironing shirts at the time, but I do that a LOT so no problem in listening!) but no, I got the so often heard "Watch Telly!!" I actually asked him then if we were going to have a repeat performance of last week again..well we did! He spent the next 45 minutes refusing to read the poem. I kept really calm this time though and explained that now he was in the 2nd class that he would get marks on his work, and that if he went in on Monday and couldn't say the poem off by heart he would get a bad mark. That didn't sink in or interest him at all! At one point after 45 minutes he started crying and when I asked him why he was crying he said "I don't want to read something twice in one day!" - what do you say to that!
It was then time to get Richard and Robert had to come with me, cause at some point during the "fight" I had told him that there would be no TV for the rest of the day, and I didn't trust him not to turn it on whilst I was gone so he had to come along!
He had to come along a few times, as Richard went back in the afternoon too.

OUr afternoon was not much better than the morning he was still refusing to read the poem. It wasn't until Richard was allowed to watch their favourite programme "The Octonauts" before tea, and Robert had to join me in the kitchen. Then he actually read the poem to me and started to learn it off by heart! Why oh why did he have to make such a big issue of it!

It was a difficult day today! And I hope we don't repeat it too soon!

Whilst leaving Robert to himself in the afternoon I went out and standing well back and using my zoom, I got some shots of the hornets in our lilac bush. Look at the damage they are doing to the poor tree!

Sorry I couldn't decide on just one picture, so you got four!
CU tomorrow