Mom vs. Thomas

I’ve been trying to work on the whole disciple thing lately. I seem to run into too many problems when The Golden Child does something that he shouldn’t. 1. I sometimes think it is cute, if the infraction isn’t too bad (I know…bad mommy!). 2. I make a loud Ba-Ha noise because I am trying not to laugh. 3. He has me wrapped around his finger so tightly and he knows all the right moves and buttons to push.

So after many tests and experiments, I figured it all out! My new ammunition… I have found that if I threaten to throw away one of his toys, he is putty in my hands. This has been working well for about a month now. I have finally felt victorious over this 3 foot tower of strength who has the ability to read my mind. He has stayed in bed, picked up his toys when I have asked, and done anything else on the long list of requirements for being a 3 ½ year old. But like all good things, they must sometime come to an end. Recently, I found that my ammunition has run out and I am now left with nothing but blanks.

This was what went down at Walgreens the other day. I made the mistake of taking him along while I downloaded 600 pictures. I thought it would be a quick trip. I always do it at home and time isn’t an issue. Walgreens was and issue. I had to stand next to the Walgreens Photo Kiosk for 20 minutes waiting for everything to finish. So in other words, I had to keep him entertained and within a 5 foot radius of myself. Because we were standing right next to the Clock “department,” (a.k.a. 3 feet of dedicated shelving) Thomas found a Cars alarm clock that he had to have.

T; Mom, look at this!
M: Oh, That is pretty nice.
T: Mom, can I get it?
M: No, honey. Not today. We can’t take that home on the plane with us.
T; But Mom,. Please.
M: No
T: PLEASE (he has learned this fun negotiation tactic)
M: Thomas, put the clock down now. I told you we can not take that on the plane with us. (Honest answer would have been: We can not take that on the plane with us because I bought too much stuff at Craft Warehouse and we don’t have any more room in the suitcase.)

The begging went on for a little bit longer.

I finally had had it and was about to blow a gasket!

M: You put that clock down right now or I will throw away one of your toys when we get back home!

He paused and looked at me with his huge brown eyes. I knew he was scheming something up.

T: Okay mom, when we get home you can throw away that monkey.
M: You mean the sock monkey I made you?
T: Yes, I don’t want it anymore. I want this!

After I took the knife out of my back, I explained to him calmly that I made the monkey and there was no way we were going to throw it away. I then pulled trick #2 out of my hat and used the old lets-ask-Santa- for- it-next-Christmas trick. Somehow that appeased him and he put it back on the shelf and went on as if nothing had happened.