If You're Finished with my Brain, I'd Kindly Like it Back

I know I am a mom and I am supposed to think for my kids, but I thought after 8 or 10 or 12 years they might start doing a little thinking for themselves. No dice.

Last Night The Pleaser had a Whiz Quiz tournament (yes, he is very smart) and I had given him one task when I dropped him at school: Find out what time we need to be there and where we need to go. Seems simple enough, doesn't it?

I picked him up from school and, as we drove away, asked him if he had that information. He said, "I have a schedule." I drive away so proud, thinking "My kid is so super-awesome." Boy was I wrong (well he is awesome, just not at that moment).

When we got home, I look at the schedule. It is a schedule, but only a schedule of the upcoming tournaments. It doesn't tell me if we meet at his school or go to the tourney school. It doesn't tell me what time he needs to be there, if I am supposed to take him or if he is riding a bus. I kinda need to know these things. I'm sure he was either told or given a handout at one point but that information never seems to get to me (like last year when I found out about the out-of-town Science Olympiad at 3pm the day before the 8am start of the competition). He said he thought the coach told them to be there at 4:45 so I made the executive mom decision that we would go to the tournament school and that turned out to be the right thing to do, thankfully.

Danger Boy was lacking brain function yesterday as well. When I picked him up, he very snottily said to me, "Mom, you need to send me a jacket every day. I didn't get to go to recess today because I didn't have one." I said, "What season is it?" He replied, "Winter." I said, "When you walked outside, did you not notice it was cold?" He said, "I did, but you didn't tell me to get my jacket." I guess it is against the law for him to wear a jacket unless I tell him to put it on?

I don't understand?? Have I done too much thinking for them in their lives. Have I not taught them to think for themselves? Do I chalk it up to the fact that they are just kids. Or is the bigger problem the fact that they are boys?

Wait, I think I know the answer. Phone Guy, don't forget to put on clean underwear.