Some Stories.

I hope you all aren't sick of Cole stories, but remember: my blog and kinda my journal, and my decision. I've got to remember this stuff, because it's completely priceless. Anyway, here goes:

Lately Cole has decided that he needs to take a treat to Kindergarten each day. He tells me that at recess, the kids are allowed to eat a treat, and he STARVES when he doesn't bring something. This is regardless of whether he eats right before he leaves or not, he just needs to put something in his backpack to eat later, otherwise, "why have a backpack if it doesn't carry good stuff?"
So his treat of choice lately has been Skittles. "They're chewy and fruity, mom, that's why it's my favorite. You know I like lots of fruit." I explained to him that Skittles aren't in fact REAL fruit, but he won't hear of it. As far as he's concerned, he'll go along with my rule of eating something good for breakfast and lunch in order to get a treat for school, but he's really being healthy by choosing something with so much fruit flavor...and color. Anyway, a few days ago I told Cole to brush his teeth before we left, and he had to do a good job, and he had to brush his tongue, too. Now, he's under the impression that I'm a complete idiot. He'll go into the bathroom, and shut the door and from there, I'm supposed to believe that he's brushing teeth with great aplomb. When he comes out, he'll flash me a grimace, in which I'm supposed to see the "obvious" fruit of his labors. But sometimes I throw a gigantic wrench into his plans. And on that particular day I did. I told him to come closer so I could get a close-up of his chompers, and what did I find? Left over goo from his Chicken and Stars lunch, and bad baby-boy breath to boot. I then told him that he needed to go brush again and this time do a good job, and not to fib about doing it in the first place. His reply was a whine and, "but I just always forget". So I came up with an excellent idea and told him that in order to remember the next time I tell him to brush his teeth, he's going to look back on this particular day and remember that when he doesn't do a good job, I don't let him take a treat to school. "WHAT?" "I don't get the Skittles?" I had to listen to a few renditions of that question in addition to some tears and more whining, but eventually he calmed down when I told him that the next day we could go back to the Skittles priviledge if he brushed the right way. (Yes, in my house I am referred to as, The Teeth Nazi. I embrace this so-called dis with pride).
So he put his bag of Skittles on my dresser for the next day and we got Syd in her seat in the car, and then buckled him in. Then he said, "My friends are gonna be really mad that I didn't bring my Skittles today." I told him that they'd just have to deal, and that now he'll REALLY remember to brush his teeth. We drove in silence for a while and Cole goes: "It's just that, when I'm eating my Skittles, I like to share. And my friends like Skittles, too. And they say if I give them some Skittles, they'll give me a dollar. But you know what? They never DO give me a dollar. I should have a thousand dollars, but I didn't even get one. I hope they bring my dollars today. Then I'll have to sell some Skittles tomorrow, too. Now they'll know I need my dollars."
Cole's been faux selling his candy at recess. Nice.

Today Cole told me, "Mom, I want to make you have another baby." (I thought that it was cute he wanted another baby--but Yikes. Just hearing those words in that order out of his mouth was way too disturbing). I told him that boys can't make their moms have babies and then he said, "well, then DAD needs to make you have another baby, and it needs to be a boy so Syd can have a little brother like Riley has a little brother. And then I'll have a little brother, too". (I'm wondering how he came to the conclusion that boys make girls have the babies....I'm wondering if Riley tells him bits and pieces of stuff. I would ask, but it's just waaaay too complicated for me to explain to a five year old just yet--especially one that is as thoughtful and curious as Cole. Jeff and I had to tell him that there are NO more babies coming to this family, that Syd is our last, and there is no possible way that we'll even get a surprise like Syd was. He kind of tuned us out, as we were trying to explain. So I'm thinking that that particular subject will be brought up again.

Lastly, is a story about Riley. Now she's really quiet, and she's a private person. I don't tell a lot of stuff about her, because I know she wouldn't want me to. It's really hard for me, because a lot of the time my lack of "Riley" stories makes it look like I don't think she's funny, or I just forget to mention her. That's not it. Even her humorous stories have to be kept pretty quiet, as she hates the limelight and would just rather go her own way and do her own thing all the while being inconspicuous. Sound like anyone?
I've been buying books for her, lately. She's told me that she's got some favorite types of books to read and I got all excited, because I love to read, and I imagine that this is a way we can do some bonding. So I bought her some of the books she requested, and then I bought some books that I thought looked good. We were both in the living room reading one of our books, (and I really need to start keeping my books in my room, because some of the covers are a bit, er, skanky, and my kids are noticing). I asked what Riley's book was about, and she goes: Well, it's kinda not really interesting". I asked her why it wasn't interesting, and she said: "Well, because this is one of the books that you got me, and I read the last page, and it just wasn't a very interesting story--the ending just sucked." I asked why she read the last page first and she said, "It's just the way I know if I like a book or not." I told her that she needs to give her books a chance and a lot of the time what's on the cover isn't the best part of the book, and she needs to read from front to back, because sometimes it's what's in the middle of the book that makes it the most interesting. Then she said, "Well, what are you reading?" I kind of paused and said, "oh, just a story with vampires and fighting and adventure...." and she goes, "And scary, kissing people?" I was so busted. She then said, "so, is your book really good in the middle?" I told her yes, and she goes: "does your book have any of what's on the cover in it?" uh...I again told her, yes. Before she could ask anymore questions I told her I had something that I had to do upstairs where I promptly ditched said book and brought down an Entertainment Weekly, instead.