What the kids are up to. . .

I had to laugh when I got on my email and Ropi asked if my kids are up to anything interesting. Just when I thought we were in a dull lull, Guy (10) changed it when he almost lit himself on fire. My husband was burning some grass and dead leaves and had some gas a safe distance away that he was using to help burn it. As one of the kids struggled to bring another wheel barrow full of freshly mowed grass to the fire, my husband walked over (less than 20 feet away) to help right the little cart and take it over. Well, Guy, fascinated by the effect of the gas on the fire (and fascinated by the fire-- all kids go through a phase of fascination, I think) grabbed the gas can and said he'd help Dad and started to pour it on the fire. Somehow, the little gas can ignited!

My husband calmly told Guy to throw it on to the fire where it continued to burn. He told kids that he was done for the night and sent them all in and they got ready for bed. An hour later he came in and was pretty shaken and told me what happened. He called Guy in and asked if he knew that what had happened out there could had hurt him and everyone who was around him. Of course Guy had no idea-- my husband was calm and never aroused panic. Had the gas can been bigger or even full-- well, he'd have not used it, but it could have had disastrous results.

My husband's lecture was boring and nothing sank in-- Guy just wanted to go to bed. I said, "Guy, do you remember when you burned your finger taking cookies out of the over?" (He did.) I told him to remember the feeling of the little burn but to think of it over an arm or an entire leg, maybe his face. I used to be a CNA (certified nurse's assistant) and told him what it was like caring for burn victims. Then I told him, "You would come home and you'd still need to be taken care of. I would have to help you go to the bathroom! Do you want your mother helping you go to the bathroom? Or while I am taking your brothers to baseball, Princess Cloud would have to help you!" (Princess Cloud was in bed and yelled, "Gross!" His brothers were giggling.)

He turned to Dad and said, "I am really sorry. I won't do that again or even ask to help you with burning." I know that he paid attention!

Peaches is working at her first job. She is throwing herself in with her normal dedication, treating her $8 an hour job like it's a $300,000 salaried position. Last night she alone closed her shop which I really think should be done by assistant managers or managers. Two other employees has been working with her-- one felt sick and wanted to go home, the other is the son of the franchise owner and he had some issue with his car and wanted to leave. The person who closes has a lot to ready for the next day as they arrive early to serve breakfast. Peaches was alone. I was there to pick her up and almost an hour later, I rang her and told her that she'd get into trouble for being so late and to just stop what she was doing and to come out "NOW." She came out in tears-- she'd gotten a call from security and was told that she needed to close within a half hour of the store closing and how she wanted to have everything ready for the morning crew and couldn't get it done.

I am really proud of her for her dedication and showing how much she cares for her work, but I see a lot of clack happening there that she shouldn't have to be dealing with with only one month in to her work. She does not feel like she can tell the son of the franchise owner anything-- managers have tried to get the owner to relieve him of his job-- he has told everyone that he does not want to be there. The other worker is on the same level as my daughter but has a million reasons to leave early or not come in. They seem unable to keep good workers and keep the ones they have who are good-- possibly because they can't fire the dead weight who doesn't want to be there. My daughter likes him as a person, but his I-don't-care-bear attitude can't be construed as building moral.

She finally calmed down when I told her that she is only an employee-- she does not have the power to keep anyone there when they whine about being sick, want to go do something with their car (at 10PM?) or say they are not coming in. They do not pay her as a manager to make certain things get done-- she is, at the end of the day, an hourly employee.

I am helping a good friend run for a house seat-- that is exciting. We have parades on Friday-- I love the 4th of July because we have a lot of fun supporting our candidates. This year several of the kids want to walk with different people, which is great. I don't care if they don't vote like me, just that they vote and be part of the whole process. Guy wants to walk with a sign that says, "Vote McBama!" on one side and "Vote OCain" on the other (in other words, just vote,) but I told him he'd need his own float and we couldn't do it this year. Cute idea, though. . . I ~should~ have him walk with the fire fighters and carry a sign that says, "Don't get near fires without your father's permission."