"Constant Questions"

Today I had to teach Christian what the word "consequences" means, after he was having naughty behavior much of the morning and then wanted a story before his nap. I explained that a consequence of his behavior was that I would not be reading him a story.

So at dinner, I asked him, "Do you remember what word Mommy taught you today before your nap?"

He replied, "Yes, 'constant questions.'" LOL! Good enough for me! :)

The Setup

I put Christian to the test today.  Okay ... I set him up.  I'm not going to "candy coat it" - pun intended!

Today Christian came home from school with some plastic eggs filled with jellybeans.  We don't give him candy at home, so jellybeans are a real treat.

He wanted the bag in his room for naptime, and I declined.  He asked again, I declined.  He insisted ... and I caved in.   Getting little sleep for the past three months is somehow all catching up with me today and I just didn't have the energy to fight him on this one.  Pick your battles, they say.

So I decided to make it a learning experience.

I sat him down and explained that his bag was to stay on his beadside table.  He wasn't to touch it, wasn't to open any eggs.

"Do you understand, Christian?"
"I understand, Mommy."

Let the test begin.

As he often is these days, he was full of energy at naptime and simply wasn't sleeping.  But he's still really good about staying in his bed until I tell him it is time to get up.

So time passed and I heard his door shut ... and I wondered ...

But I'm just to tired too tired get up and investigate (weekend, come quickly!).

A bit later, I heard some paper crinkling.  And it kept crinkling ... and kept crinkling.

I walked in to find he'd taken off his shirt, and in the darkness I could see the sticky, colorful remnants of jellybean "juice" (read "spit") all over his face, chest, belly and hands.

"Christian, did you eat your jellybeans?"

"No."

"Christian, tell Mommy the truth. Did you eat your jellybeans?"

"No, Mommy.  I didn't eat my jellybeans."

I explained to him that I knew he ate them because he was all covered in stickiness - and becuase his breath smelled like candy.  I looked in his hand and saw a small bag of candy that he'd been unable to open.   Crinkly noise explained. :)

I explained that he must always tell Mommy the truth and I said, "Christian, did you eat jellybeans?"

"No, I ..."

"Christian, tell Mommy, 'Yes, Mommy, I ate the jellybeans."

"Yes, Mommy, I ate the jellybeans."

"Thank you for telling me the truth (big smile).  I feel very happy when you tell me the truth."  (Christian definitely understands the concepts happy and sad nad he knows that Mommy and Papa "feel happy" when he listens ... and "feel sad" when he doesn't).

A made sure my response was very pleasant and with a smile so that he knows I won't flip out when he tells me the truth (ask me again in about 10 years after he's come to me with some terrible, gut-wrenching truth ... I might not be so cordial in my reaction).

As I got up to leave and take the bag with me, he said, "Mommy, can I have jellybeans after my nap?"

*sigh*

He asked me to leave the bag in there, and I obliged again.  We'll see if #1, he can resist the candy and #2, if he can't, if he owns up to eating them.

So yep ... I set my four-year old up twice. :)

By some miracle, he's asleep right now - even with all that candy in his bella.  And I'm willing to bet that when he wakes up, he's not feeling so good.  That happeend in Valentine's day when he ate way too much candy, cookies, etc.

Sometimes lessons learned are painful ... and come with a bit of vomit.  (eeew!)

First Official Portrait Together

I had a dream.  My dream was that my children - dressed in carefully selected matching outfits - would take an amazing "first portrait."  I wanted a baby blue dress for Scarlett, and a Polo shirt for Christian that had some blue.   I found his shirt first, and when I couldn't find a blue dress for Scarlett, I bought a fluffy white dress with blue flowers across the waste.

The first thing Christian said to me that day, "I don't WANT my picture taken."  And he wasn't kidding.  He was truly upset at the idea.

Fortunately, somebody at school was able to get his picture taken care of while I got Scarlett ready.  And that picture turned out great (see post below).

But when it came to posing with Scarlett, Christian somehow got stage fright.  And the more the photographer tried to cajole Christian into posing with Scarlett, the more upset Christian got.  We were begging, pleading - BRIBING - Christian to just hold her for a moment.

But when his eyes filled with tears, and his voice cracked with a bit of panic, I knew we just need to leave him alone.

But one more attempt got us the picture above.   I didn't care for Scarlett's dress being fanned out that way, and I was irritated that Christian's face wasn't visible.

But when I step way from my "Type A" desires and see the picture in print, I think the picture is really charming.  Don't you? :)