broken

I hope it just comes in three's!  My electric oven in broken, one of my kitchen faucets is broken, and one of out toilets is broken.  Ugh.  Not a good week to have to spend money on repairs.  I have to admit I miss the 2nd faucet the most.  I can't tell you how many times in a day I've walked over and pushed the handle up.  Hopefully we will get them all fixed in the next week. 

The only drama we've had around lately is from one of my usually near perfect boys.  He started working about 2 months ago.  His dad or I take him (and another brother) to work and pick him up.  Let me tell you I don't like getting out at 10:00 at night to go pick someone up from work.  But I know they need to work, and he is defineatly not ready for his drivers liscence.  I ask each boy to pay $10 per month for gas.  The first month I didn't say anything, they were just getting started.  Well, I guess I should have.  I told both boys they needed to pay out their gas money out of this paycheck.  They get paid on Tuesdays.  One of the boys pulled out his 10 right then and gave it to me.  I told him he didn't have to pay it until he got his check.  He insisted.  The other one didn't even respond, but I thought he would pay his money when he got paid.  Well Tuesday came and went.  He went to the mall with one of his older sisters.  He didn't say anything about spending his money. They actually went to see a movie.  He ask his aunt if she would go by and pay his phone bill.  She agreed.  He gave her cash and his phone number.  Well when she went to pay it he had shortened her $3.  She called me and I told her I was sure it was a mistake and just to pay the bill and he would give her back the money.  Well when she confronted him he just walked off!  Didn't say sorry, heres the money,  nothing, just walked off.  When she told me this I had a cow.  He wasn't at home.  He still had not paid his $10 for gas.  This was one week after being paid.  NOW I know these are small amounts and it's not going to break anybody.  But they have to learn to pay their bills.  If they had to call a cab, it would be $10 one way. Or maybe more. $3 wasn't much.  BUT still it was the principal.   After I got to thinking, I thought this is so unlike him.  ???????    !!!  As I thought about it a light bulb came on.  Now he drew almost $400.  I walked into the den and ask one of his younger brothers, "Did your brother happen to buy a new game system"?  Oh yea, he bought a new X-box.   OH I was livid.  He spent all his money and didn't bother to tell me.  I guess he was too embarressed.  He choose to spend his money on a game system instead of pay his bills.  Well he had to work today.  I politely told him he hadn't paid for gas and I couldn't take him.  He ask his brother in law.  However he didn't think about how he was going to get home.  I've let him sit for almost an hour.  Am I being too hard?  I'm leaving to go pick him up.  I'm still miffed.  The least he should have done was said Mom I've spent all my money.  Not act like he had done nothing wrong.  Hopefully this little wait will allow him to think about how he spends his money and about being straight forward when you mess up.  I hope he doesn't get bitter over it all.  If he does I guess he won't have a job.  Parenting is sooo hard!  (spell check won't work!)