Where is my notebook?

I have a notebook that I bought specifically to write out my 2018 goals and to keep track of my progress.  In this notebook, I divided the year by quarters. Each quarter is divided into three columns.  In the first column, I list my goals for that quarter.  In the second column, I list the projected completion date for each goal.  And in the third column, I list the date that the goal was actually completed.  I spent a lot of time creating this notebook.  I even have it color coded.  My plan was to use it throughout the course of the year to keep track of my progress and to hold myself accountable.

After I spent a good part of the day creating my notebook, I decided to put it in a safe place.  However, when I wanted to review it a few days later, I couldn’t find it.  I looked all around my office and couldn’t find it.  After a while, I thought,  “Ok.  Maybe I put it in my bedroom.”  I looked there and couldn’t find it.  For two whole weeks I looked for this notebook.  I thought I was going crazy.  The notebook had to be in the house.  After all, I didn’t take it out.  But damn, where could it be? Finally, in desperation, I asked my son, “Hey, did you see a big notebook?”  Imagine my surprise when he looks at me and says, “Is it pink?” and then proceeds to open his book bag and pull it out!

I.  Was.  Hot.  Here I am looking for my notebook, and my son is using it for school!  Oh hell no!! I asked him if he’d noticed that some of the pages had writing on them.  Of course he didn’t.  So then the talking began.  I started talking about respecting other people’s property and not using things that didn’t belong to him, and how he should ask for permission before using other people’s things.  Now mind you, I was not calm during this “conversation”.  This was more like me yelling.  At one point, my son actually had the nerve to look at me and say, “Its not that serious Mom.”   Oh, I was done.  It was like he had thrown gas on the flame.  My temper flared up and I yelled for a good 15 to 20 minutes more.  I’m sure he wished that he had kept his mouth shut.

When I sort of calmed down, I decided that he had to be taught a lesson.  He needed to learn what it felt like when you couldn’t find something, not because you lost it, but because someone else took it.  So when he was in the bathroom, I looked around his room for something I could hide.  I saw his combination lock and figured that it would be good to take it since hey, he must need it for his locker at school.  At that point, I didn’t even care if his stuff got stolen.  So I took the lock and hid it in my yarn box.  I figured he wouldn’t look for it there.  I imagined that he that he would be frantic the next morning and I couldn’t wait for him to ask me whether or not I saw the lock.  I had it all planned out what I would say.  I would innocently ask him, “Why would I know where it is?  I don’t use it.”  I had planned on waiting two weeks before the lock “mysteriously” reappeared.  I figured he would have learned his lesson at the end of that two week period.

​The following morning, I notice my son putting a lock into his coat pocket.  Now I’m confused.  I didn’t give him the lock back and I was pretty sure that it was still in my yarn box.  So I asked him, “Where did you get that lock from?”  He just looked at me and said nonchalantly, “Oh, this lock.  I’ve always had it.”  All I could do was look at him and shake my head.  Next time, I’ll just go in his wallet and take out his cash.  I can almost guarantee that he doesn’t have any spare cash lying around.

So the moral of this story is this, if you want to teach your kids a lesson, make sure that you do your research and plan for all scenarios.

Now you know, and ... Consider Yourself Warned!