Allowance. Dominique.

We decided to give Dom an allowance. He's 13 now and a teenager so I am incorporating more to his responsibilities.

This is our first time giving allowance and Angel and I didn't know how much was a good amount. My son asked us about that and we kind of looked at each other blankly and shrugged our shoulders. I think this was my son's chance to jump in and negotiate.

So here is what we came up with:

• $15 a week. (to be paid on Sunday evening)

• Dom washes dishes everyday. (along with keeping his room clean and washing his own clothes)

• Any day missed will result in subtracting $2.15 per day missed.

• His room and clothes are his responsibility. He can't complain to me about not having something to wear.

• His grades are his main responsibilities. They will result in a $5 decreas in his allowance for every failing grade. Now that only means he can get 3 before he will start owing us money.

• Now..if he does get to the point where he loses his allowance...it will be a long time of doing dishes and keeping grades up before he will begin to get paid again.

He wasnt feeling well yesterday because his throat was hurting and I could hear his horrible coughing fits. So he ducked out of doing dishes last night (only cause he was sick).

Today is the first day I put the plan into motion. I will need to keep a log book to make sure we got the figures right when it starts getting mixed up. Trust me, he will argue for more money forever. Not gonna have it. I will keep up with the calculations.

I'll keep you posted on what the totals are at the end of the weeks.

Another thing we (well Angel) decided on was not to cut his hair if he gets bad grades. Their report cards come out on Friday. He still believes he will get his hair chopped like Devyn's. I won't tell him about the change of heart so that he won't give up the motivation. It's working.

He loves spending time with me and just hanging and watching TV shows or movies. Yesterday we watched Sweeny Todd. I was reluctant to watch it cause I just have to be in the mood for something like that but I forgot I ordered it online and it was here. So...may as well watch it.

We did.

We liked it.

We watched the whole thing lounging on my bed and leaning on each other. He's more affectionate now.

Now, because we both have ADHD, we bump heads ALOT. We realize that we both need to be patient with each other. I'm hoping that in the coming years we grow closer and don't develop any riffs (well, nothing too major anyway). I can't imagine him growing up and resenting me and not communicating for any period of time out of spite.

I don't want that with my children.

Anyway...he was going to have a chance to stay overnight at one of his friend's house this Sat. (He doesn't get to stay over anywhere much at all.) He was towns over with his dad and brother at their grandfather's house. I called told Angel that his friend came over asking if he could stay the night and I told him "yes". (this was at 7pm)

They didn't get home until 11pm. I wanted Dom to have a good time this weekend. He asked me he could still go but I am not that familiar with the boy's parents so I didn't want to call at 11. I told him next weekend would be better. I really felt bad about him not being able to go. I was actually a little hurt. Of course this is the kids that he is hanging with and cursing with (so I wasn't all thaaaaat hurt) but as long as he isn't out just cursing people out and it doesn't become a problem at school/home, then we will put it on the back burner for now.

So I went just now and got the kids from Latchkey (for those of you who don't know...Latchkey is a program that keeps your children in an afterschool program for parents who work until 5 or so. They keep them until 6.) This isn't without pay.

Anyway...As I was walking out the door ..his friend Jordan (the one he was supposed to spend the night with) asks me if maybe Dom could stay the night this weekend. I told him that it may be a possibility.

I get the kids and Dom points out Jordan's mom. (remember I said I didnt know his parents well enough to call so late?...) well, she's in her car and he glances over and...ugh...looks at me like she didn't want to look at me. I told Dom this and he said.."naww...she just looks like that at everyone" ok...so then I figured that Jordan isn't intimidated by my superiority because his mom is pretty stern too. Everytime he would come over and ask if Dom could come out I would tell him that Dom can't come out cause he has this and this to do cause he didnt do it and he would say "Let me come in and I'll help him". I always tell him "no" but sometimes I wonder if 2 is better than one. Then I figured they would just play around and make a mess.

Dom confirmed this by saying "yeah...pretty much".

So Dom rides solo on his chores.

That's it for Dom..for now.