Rx

Our household has been through a lot of stresses in the past year, and we're constantly on the lookout for ways to make things a little kinder and gentler. Luke in particular has had a rough time. It's a shame that it's taken us until May to get a handle on things, but that's apparently how long it takes to  address problems around here.

Prescription #1: A cat.

This cat loves Luke more than anyone. I come in a close second; Dave's a close third, and Zach lags behind a short distance at fourth. (In fact, the other day Zach was rather circumspect about the whole thing after Kaya ran away from him: "Maybe I love Kaya a little bit too much.") But the bottom line is, Kaya loves Luke, Luke knows it, and it makes him proud and happy.

Prescription #2: A bike.

Luke hasn't been especially excited about bike-riding, and after we gave his old bike to Zach, Luke spent several months without a bike and didn't miss it at all. But this week I insisted that we get him a new bike, which we did, and it has the side benefit of being super-cool, with 21 gears and all of the bells and whistles (er, except no actual bells and whistles). When he had his old bike, he was still a little wobbly on it. But once he sat on this bike, he had every incentive to turn into a confident rider. After just two afternoons riding around at the school playground, he's a pro. When we ran into some friends of his, he proudly showed off his bike while riding in cool, laid-back circles. And the other day he actually complained about not wanting to do his homework because he wanted to ride his bike. That sounds like it would be a typical kid complaint, but it's truly a new one in our house.

Prescription #3: A bro.
Anyone who's been around our house on a weeknight knows that I am tired of being Luke's punching bag when he's frustrated with homework. What he really needed was someone who could inspire him to get his work done, and who would be someone Luke wouldn't want to dump on. Enter Trace, our 15-year-old savior. Trace, the son of a friend of mine, is a total gem of a kid who is a patient and inspiring homework pal. Trace has only been here twice but he's already made my life so much easier and Luke's life so much better that it feels like we've known him forever. He's going to come on Tuesdays/Thursdays and he'll work with Luke on homework for about 50 minutes, then shoot some hoops and hang out for the rest of the hour. He has some street cred with Luke because he likes Halo. And he has all of the street cred in the world with me, because he helps Luke get his work done with no pain and no tears.

Zach's class spent last month working on "persuasive writing," and even though Zach is pretty persuasive as it is, his writing shows some surprising demands. Here are a few samples, spelling corrected of course:

Dear Mom: Please can I have more minutes of screens! I really like awards. I will do anything for you. Love, Zach

Dear Mom: Could I have a cat and a sleepover with Justin at my house with three iPads. Please please. Because I want it I need it I really need both so badly. Love, Zach.

Dear Mom:
Please return your car so I can buy my six month year old cat. Love, Zach

(Backstory: When Dave sold his red Volvo, he got cash for it and he gave each of the boys a $100 bill. Ever since then Zach has been bugging me to sell my car so that he can get another $100, because that's how much you have to pay to get a cat at the cat rescue. He wrote these letters before we got Kaya, so apparently getting Kaya saved us $100.)

And then the finishing touch:

Dear Luke: Please, triple please, stop fighting me. Because you do it all the time. Because you get in trouble. Love, Zach.

Sigh. Kindler and gentler, people. That's where we're trying to go. Maybe Zach needs a bro too.