So after a blissful, kid-free week, SS12 is back (well, has been since Sunday). So far this week, I have found an empty Goldfish bag, an ice cream bar wrapper and a candy bar wrapper in his bed. I suspect when he gets up to get dessert in the evening, he sometimes slips another thing in his pocket. DH thinks he's also coming down sometimes in the middle of the night. That's the only way to explain the ice cream.

Ugh.

DH and I just talked about the problems with SS12 and his utter refusal to follow some very simple rules. DH admitted he occasionally hears from BM -- usually starting with the "I don't want to butt in, but..." (Of course followed by her butting in.)

Basically, she said SS tells her we never go anywhere. We don't go out a whole lot. We go on walks. We occasionally go out to eat. DH will sometimes take SS to the arcade or the movies for a special treat. But we don't do "fun stuff" every week. She's just appalled by that.

I know kids can be clueless and space cadets at times. But, sometimes, I'm just dumbfounded.

SS12's laundry has been an issue for quite a while. He'll bring down his laundry basket half-full of clean clothes. DH gets onto him. SS responds with a shrug and "why does it matter? Stuff's getting washed anyway." Well, if we have to do multiple loads, that's a waste of water, time and electricity.

SS12 loves our little dachshund mix. Dog only has interest in SS when SS has food. The last three nights in a row, while we're eating (we tend to eat in the living room), when Dog has gotten up on the couch, SS has held onto Dog. Dog doesn't usually struggle much, but he stares across the room at me, constantly. Three times I've had to remind SS not to hug him -- dogs don't like it. Tonight, I noticed SS had his fingers looped in Dog's collar. I called him out on it and Dog immediately ran away from him.