August 6, 2010
My husband has always been the "creative" parent. When the kids were little, I mean really little like 2 years old, they could be a little frustrating. But you can't get too upset because they are still soooo little. Mike however is a marine and kids not listening and jumping to do his will drove.him.nuts! This is where the creativity came in. He realized being angry because a 2 year old does not immediately go and put on his pajamas is a little ridiculous so he started the tasers. No not real tasers - finger tasers. He'd taser the kids 'til they laughed so hard they cried for mercy and did whatever he asked. Pajama races started immediately afterwards as well.
Flash forward 6 months or so and Maggie has this annoying habit of grabbing EVERYTHING! She never asks, "Can I have some ____" she just grabs. In the process she knocks her plate on the floor, accidentally whacks Max in the head etc. So Mike one day looks at her and says, "handcuffs". Which was pretty funny because Maggie, Max and I all looked at him waiting for what the heck that meant. He made Maggie hold her hands behind her back. This was like Chinese water torture to her! Oh my was she upset. But handcuffs have come in pretty handy for whatever misbehaviour is occurring and they work SO much better than time out as you carry your hands with you EVERYWHERE you go. Love it! Mike tried "feet cuffs" one day but those don't work so well in chairs, car seats...
Now my baby boy is not a baby anymore. Ya'll he turned 6, SIX, on Wednesday. How IS that possible? And of course HE IS the most perfect boy in the world. But I suppose he does have one, tiny, little shortcoming... he is really emotional. Max can cry at the drop of a hat and also become angry over nothing. I'm convinced it's because he is super sensitive and therefore his angry isn't much different from his sad internally. Does that make sense? He doesn't do well in a soccer game - ANGER, which is really disappointment in himself. Someone is unkind to him - CRYING, because he wants everyone to like him. Anyway, Mike and I have been trying to tough him up a bit and teach him what is and isn't appropriate to cry over. Mike stared with the list of "what men cry about". 1. your team loses 2. your dog dies 3. you drop a nickel on your toe (inside joke and really painful for those who have never done that) and finally 4. if you're bleeding. And really, it actually helped... some. So what next... This summer, Max was nearly 6, he was upset over something small but you know HUGELY important to a 5 year old like his sister hit him in the head with a pool noodle while trying climb in the golf cart. Mike looked at Max and said, "We're gonna play a little game - it's called SUCK IT UP". Max is NOT a fan of this game. But it is oh so funny too! Is it wrong that I take pleasure in the pain my husband inflicts on my children? Now when Max is upset because he wants ice cream for breakfast and we say no so he stomps his feet and protests ad nauseum Mike just says, "we're gonna play a little game" to which Max responds, "I don't wanna play suck it up" with the hugest pout ever. But ya know what... it works! Max knows that suck it up means, game over, move on.
Finally Max's birthday was on Wednesday and we had cupcakes. The kids could barely eat dinner because the cupcakes, and presents, were calling their names! So we sing and place the cupcakes on the table and Mike says, "ok kids go open presents I'm gonna eat some cupcakes". To which Max whines, "Papa that's not fair it's MY birthday and those are MY cupcakes". Mike replies, "We're gonna learn a new game it's called Life's Not Fair it goes really well with Suck It Up". Needless to say the humor was lost on the munchkins. And NO he didn't eat all the cupcakes himself!
BEACH!
Fishing with the new Iron Man rod.
Car ride to DC to see my parents was a little tight!
