Sunday, 01/21/07 - 1:52 pm.
There's something a little borderline about these kids. Last night was the complete opposite to what I wrote about in the previous entry. It was a nice dinner. And this morning, my niece made pancakes for everybody.
But then, of course, she got mad at something, or someone (especifically, because she had to pick up the pieces of a game after she'd finished). She yelled about being miserable. I laughed to myself, poor silly kid. She was mad again, and just then a friend called her to invite her I don't know where. She asked for permission, but given how lovely she's been lately, it was denied it.
I heard my brother trying to explain her exactly why, concerning mostly the scandal from two nights ago, and the fact that she hasn't cleaned her bedroom in a long time; and, aside from baking cupcakes and pancakes -and that's happened only twice since I've been here-, she does no chores. You know, the usual: ask her to, and she'll frown and not move a muscle. She doesn't help at all, not even getting ready to be on time wherever she needs to get.
Yesterday I was talking to my brother about this. Pretty much what I've said before here, about how the world revolves around her, how she drastically changes, and that, after whatever you ask her for (clean her room, give five minutes of her time), she'll get angry and throw a tantrum, or give you a look like you're the worst scum on earth.
I heard her say something about not wanting to live in this house anymore. Funny. Indeed, at this age, there must be something about the brain, which blows things out of proportion, and so she ends up hysterical after what could've been a simple talk to work things out. It's the usual (what she just said sobbing, downstairs): she claims no one understands the drama that goes on in her school, but she also doesn't want to tell. They "should know", she says. Ah, yes. I made a lot of mistakes back in my youth, thinking that way. I would've saved myself a couple of tears...well, I could've used some assertiveness, too...but anyway, that's something else.