WHEN A NORTHERN HITS A MEXICAN, ALL HELL BREAKS LOOSE

So, he got an orange card (starts at green, then to yellow, then orange, then red) and an "on the spot" (a written warning) on Friday for squirreling around more than usual and then not listening after being warned several times that he was on the verge of getting busted.

So, in addition to having to write lines at home and draft a letter of apology to his teacher for being disrespectful, he also lost the green tip on his white belt, which means that if he doesn't straighten up and fly right by the end of the week, he risks not being able to compete in the intramural tournament on Saturday, and losing his black tip, which means he won't be able to belt test until he earns them BOTH back.

And I talked and talked and talked to him about it. And Mommy talked and talked and talked to him about it.

And then the little shit went and got another orange card today.

So, today he had to talk to his Sifu and the Master Instructor, explain his behavior, and hear from them everything we had already said, but which, when expelled from the windpipes of any other human being that doesn't bear his own last name, suddenly means something really really important and carries all this weight and shit. Apparently.

So, he agreed to abide by whatever punishment we imposed and has promised with every ant in his pants that he's gonna do better tomorrow.

So, he's grounded for the rest of the week. No playtime after school. Drawing privileges removed. And he has to -- HAS TO -- earn his green tip back by Friday or my head is just gonna explode from the stress and then who's gonna clean that up because we're renters and blood stains just don't come out of hardwood floors and white walls very well and they have 3 month's worth of my security deposit!?!?

And my mother says, "Aye, mijita, he's just norteado!" Which, loosely translated, essentially means that the change in the weather has temporarily turned him into a crazy looney bird, and it's just a boy thing, you're brother was the same way, just deal with it.

Thanks, Mom. Now, can you please pass me the tequila?