Wheels a-turnin' and it makes me grumpy!

Yesterday, I had to coax Alex to come to CVS, which was unusual. Normally, he can't wait to get there to see the toys - and, of course, demand some. I had to pick up his Big Boy Boot Camp poster which had been delivered to that store yesterday morning.

After I'd picked up the poster at the photo counter, I checked out some craft supplies to see if I could get any ideas about mounting the poster. This section is right near the toy section. On our way in, Alex had already grabbed a shopping basket. Sure enough, he loaded up a toy he's wanted for a while. It's a fire engine/firefighter collection.

I left the paper section with no ideas for mounting and told Alex we were leaving. He headed towards the counter with the fire engine toys in his basket. I grabbed the box of toys and placed it back on the counter. That sent Alex into a crying jag.

I told him that I understood why he was upset, but we were in Boot Camp now. All toys must be earned. On our way down the street, I continued to explain to him that he had already earned some pretty cool toys that day and he had lots of opportunities to earn more in the coming weeks. I offered to substitute the CVS fire engine collection for the Playland fire engine as a Big Prize. He wailed. 'No! No prize! It's a regular toy!'

I told him that he seems to like EARNED toys better than he likes gift toys. He said that wasn't true. 'No! I like regular toys! I don't like prizes!'"

"Oh, really?" I asked "Then why is it that you SLEEP with the earned toys and always want them with you? I saw you. Last night you slept with the traffic sign you earned. Today, you brought the ice cream truck and the snake with you in your backpack. I think you like the earned toys better than regular toys."

He went quiet after that. He stopped his argument about earned toys being no good. In fact, he went totally silent and folded his arms. He told me to not hold his hand, or his arm. He wrenched his forearm away from me while we were trying to cross a big intersection. At the other side, he cried that I'd hurt his arm. I told him that >I< hadn't done that. He did. If I make a mistake, I apologize, but that one wasn't MY mistake. It was his. I took his other hand so that he could nurse his "hurt" arm.

He continued to be grumpy for the next few blocks and then all was forgotten.

Hmmmmm, grumpy when he knows I'm right, perhaps? I can see it in his eyes when he earns a prize. I know how proud he gets. Mamas know these things.

Tuesday, August 3