Wednesday, April 09, 2008

How many licks?


Remember those commercials when we were kids about the Tootsie Roll pops? "How many licks until you get to the center of a Tootsie Roll pop? 1.... 2.... CRUNCH!" I always loved that commercial, but didn't care for the tootsie roll! I was the opposite - I'd eat the sucker off and throw away the tootsie roll inside. Now, a blow pop...that is another story!!

Why I am thinking of that commercial right now? I have no idea!! I have just finished DAY FOUR with GameMaster mowing the grass. This is a new chore for him this year. Unfortunately, his mother suffered through it last year and he's taken my attitude towards it. (It is very hard to present a task positively to your child - "This will be fun!!" - after complaining about doing it yourself. Lesson to learn...)

So I gave him a choice, he can mow the whole yard all in one day and have the rest of the week off. Or he can come home and mow a small section of the yard almost every day. He chose the later (I can't say that I blame him).

So today was DAY FOUR. I am going to say this as sweetly as I can. He is driving me crazy! He's making it miserable on himself! ALL FOUR DAYS he has cried and carried on. He's been rude, disrespectful and rebelliously disobedient. Then after several disciplines he goes and mows his small section for the day.

THEN he comes in with a terrific attitude!! He feels so great about himself. He is genuinely proud of his accomplishment! One day, he even decided to be so kind and mow the front yard of my neighbor (a fellow single mom with a broken lawn mower)! (Mind you, he went through the whole tantrum throwing that day before mowing too!)

How many licks will it take for this child to just buck up and get it done? Can't he see that he is wasting his precious evening play time with his shenanigans? But, alas. I must go. Missy Prissy is disobediently playing with the water hose for the blasted fifth time in two days.....

1 comment:

melanie said...

i want to stomp my feet and steal your grass!!! we have had the coldest spring, with threats of more snow.... ugh!! enjoy your green little man, enjoy it!!