Tricks are for kids

I'm not usually one to "trick" people into doing things because I don't really like being tricked, but I do resort to it sometimes.  As you can see from the following...

Kids have minds of their own from day one, I realize. However, the girls are giving me a run for my money lately because, in a pinch, I just need one of them to go first, for heaven sakes!  It used to work to say "Jocelyn, you're the oldest, just go first" but that has worn it's welcome so I moved into saying "whoever picks the movie for doing hair has to go first" but now no one wants to pick the movie.

At other times I need everyone to go to the bathroom before we leave the house, or I need someone to sit in the "undesirable" spot in the grocery cart and they both refuse adamantly.   Recently, I started doing the “eenie, meenie, miney mo” rhyme and they go for it.  I, of course, know how the rhyme works and use it to my advantage so that whoever I want to will be "it". The girls think it’s just chance, and at least something a little fun, and they go along with it.  Now, it’s starting to backfire.

 Just today I ask Lilly what she wants on her fresh slice of bread and she tells me “Mom, hold out the honey in one hand & the cinnamon-sugar in the other hand and I’ll do eenie meenie.  I’m holding both in my hands in the middle of the kitchen and she points her finger at them alternately and says “eenie, meenie, miney mo, you are not it (to the honey), you are it!” (to the cinnamon-sugar) which is what she would have picked anyway because she always picks cinnamon sugar.  She did the same thing tonight at dinner.   I see her wiggling in her seat which always means she’s about to wet her pants so I ask her “Do you want Dad to help you to the potty, or me?”  She does the same thing “eenie, meenie, miney mo, you are not it (pointing to me), you are it!” (Pointing to Jared, of course).  She always picks him so why she risked wetting her pants and waiting to go to the bathroom until the absolute last point of no return is beyond me!  I guess it’s just more exciting that way.

Jonas is also having to get tricked lately.  The little stinker has pretty much been sick, teething or overall grumpy and clingy since his birthday.  If it’s not one thing, it’s another and it’s been a hard month in that regard.  Probably as a result of this, he is also more picky with his eating and refuses to eat anything resembling baby food or anything that I try to feed him on what looks like a baby spoon.  If you cut something in small pieces and set it in front of him, he'll throw it on the ground and get his feelings really hurt when you tell him that's not okay.  Jared can have the same exact food on his plate and Jonas will beg off of him at dinner time and eat entire helpings of food if he thinks it is from Jared's plate.  We often have to set up these elaborate schemes setting Jonas’ plate down at Jared’s spot on the table, and when Jonas points at it or signs eat, we tell him “no, that’s daddy’s food” and make him wait a minute until he’s begging (aka screaming about it) and then we say: “okay, just a little” and he thinks he’s eating big boy food, a little at a time.  

 Or, he refuses to sit in his seat at all and will only sit in Lillian’s booster seat or other such ridiculous things.  He has also been harder to nurse. I’ve been such a softie thinking “oh, he’s sick, I’ll just keep nursing him a little longer” when both girls were weaned at 13 mos. Exactly.  And now he’ll pull at my shirt and sign “drink” over and over, even in the middle of church, or while we are waiting for the girls during ballet class and will make a huge scene, but if I try to nurse him comfortably in the rocker with the boppy at home he has a conniption like I’m trying to torture him.   Crazy right? But he’s doing awesome with his sign language which has been fun to watch.  He LOVES signing “hat” and “drink” and also signs book, tree, eat, all done, hi/bye, more, ball, bath, as well as blowing kisses and barking like a dog (kind of).  At his 1 yr. appt. he weighed in at 20 lbs and measured 29.5 inches in length.

I am probably revealing some type of awful parenting style by posting these, but sometimes you have to resort to these things just to get through the day without breaking down on someone (namely the kids).  They keep me laughing, make me want to scream, drive me crazy and make me feel overwhelmed by love and responsibility for them all at the same time.  And, I wouldn't have it any other way. 

The kids after a bike ride one afternoon

Pinkalicious and Purplicious in their puma outfits

The boys relaxing and watching a show one night

The closest this boy has come to walking