Chim Chim Cheree

Yeah...so...well...TT was....um...entertaining (?) this afternoon. He....uh....climbed and walked all over the roof on the verge of a fit. Yeah, that was fun...NOT.

So here's what occurred. After school, he seemed a little edgy. A few of us parents were hanging out in the circle and he came down clothed in a hoodie sweatshirt and long pants (it was a pretty warm day so this was a bit odd). He asked us if we'd go up into the attic with him. My neighbor suggested that the attic might not only be boring, but also really hot. Someone else suggested some other activity. TT kind of shrugged his shoulders and went back inside.

I decided to pop inside to check my email. As I pulled up my browser, I saw 4 adults looking up at my roof, shouting to varying degrees of concern, insistence, and encouragement. "I wonder what's going on..." I pondered lightly for a minute. Then I entered the web address for my email (Yeah...I know...but hindsight is 20/20).

Then I heard someone say TT's name. Uh oh. I went outside to see TT not only on the roof but atop the dormer of his bedroom. He had opened his window and climbed outside. His window has no screen because....well....he destroyed it a long time ago.

He began walking all over and nearly dancing. Why? Well...he was getting loads of attention from the growing group of neighborhood kids in our front yard. Kids were yelling, "Hey, look at TT!" and "Mommy, did you see TT on the roof?!" and "What's TT doing on the roof???!!!" I tried to encourage TT to get down. Of course, simply the sound of my voice agitated him and caused him to become more and more obstinant.

[Side note: He didn't actually sweep the chimney as the pictures might suggest. We don't have a chimney, so it would be kind of hard to sweep it anyway.]

Our neighbor is not only a special ed teacher, she is also brilliant. She suggested we all ignore him. Or maybe I suggested it and she told everyone to do so. I don't remember exactly. But I'll give her the credit. Ignoring him took the wind out of his sails. And it ticked him off.

I told him he'd be in time out as long as the amount of time he spent on the roof. He said in his best Andrew T tone: "Oh yeah, well I'll just stay out her all night!!!" I didn't respond. He climbed back into his bedroom but then back on the roof. He began throwing Max Steel action figures off the roof. After he'd pulled poor Max's legs off. One neighbor, trying hard to not look, asked me to make sure and warn her if one came close to her head as it flew downward.

Eventually, the other kids lost interest (well...we wouldn't let them look or talk about it, so how fun could it be?). Then the youth room opened. TT is always a sucker for the youth room. "Can I go to the youth room, Mommy?" he asked from up on the rooftop. I responded non-chalantly, "I don't talk to my kids when they aren't inside the house or on the ground." He asked again. I repeated my answer without looking at him.

He begrudgingly came inside. I went inside through the front door. He asked again. I told him he could go to the youth room after a time out. Much to my surprise, he sat down on the magic time out stair. After a few minutes, he asked if he'd been there long enough. I told him I wasn't calmed down enough yet, so no. He waited a few more minutes and asked again. I said no again but I told him he was almost done. He waited a few more minutes and I told him he could get out of time out.

Then we talked. I asked him why he felt like he needed to climb up on the roof. He said: "Because it helps me remember when I was a baby." Huh?! "What do you mean?" I asked. He responded, "It helps me remember all my memories and all my feelings from when I was a baby. Sad. Happy. Everything." How does one respond to this? I just let it go. Then I told him he had to tell me he was sorry because he'd been sassy to me, he had to tell the neighbors he was sorry because their little kids saw him making dangerous choices, and had to go with me to Target on an errand because I wasn't sure I could trust him with a sitter at the moment. He asked: "Can I go back to time out and not go to Target?" I relented - mostly because I really didn't want him to go with me anyway. Then he said his sorries and my brilliant neighbor responded by saying, "We're so glad you're down here. I'm glad you're safe." Then the issue was not belabored and I took him up to the youth room on my way to Target, my second favorite place to spend money in this town (after the newly established utopia known as Starbucks).

This thrill seeking stuff is a bit exhausting. I'm thankful for the years of experience TT has given us, though, because it really helps me stay calm, cool and collected in the moments of....errrrr....excitement in life.

Oh, and by the way, I found a bunch of great bargains at Target. I just love Target.