Declarations of Independence

Alex and Ellie really are independent-minded children. I'm so happy that they are and that their personalities are strong and that they have the courage of their convictions. Of course, sometimes that leads to interesting parenting experiences as regular readers of this blog will know. I just wanted to share a couple of experiences tonight while they are still fresh on my mind.

Ellie - Tonight while we were getting the kids ready for bed Ellie decided that she did not want her diaper changed, even though she really needed it done. Maybe I could have tried more reason and persuasion, but time was short and I ended up just holding her down while I changed her diaper. Carli was standing nearby hanging up the kids clothes and Ellie - furious that I was changing her diaper and looking for an ally - screamed at her, "Mommy, get angry at Jeff!"

Alex - We have discovered the Magic Treehouse series of books. We finished our first one yesterday and went to the bookstore tonight to buy a new one. We had a limited budget, enough to buy a paperback for Alex, and a picture book for Ellie. Alex and I were at the bookstore without Ellie, but he was excited to take a book home to her. As we got ready to leave the store however, we walked past a big display of hardcover copies of the newest Magic Treehouse book. The cover showed the two kid heroes of the books being dragged under the sea by the tentacles of an enormous octopus - just the kind of image Alex loves. As soon as he saw the book he literally dropped the two paperbacks he was carrying and snatched up the hardcover. "Dad! We have to get this!" Now it was decision time. I told Alex we could get the new book, but that would mean we wouldn't be able to get a book for Ellie - since the new book was a little bit more expensive - or we could buy the paperback book, get a book for Ellie and come back on Friday to buy the new book. Alex didn't hesitate in making his choice, but there was a very Alex-ian twist to it. He immediately decided to get the paperbacks so he could take a book to his sister, but told me, "Dad, we need to hide one of these new books so they don't sell them all." And then he squirreled away a copy in a location I have pledged not to disclose.

Apparently, Alex has discovered the principle of scarcity and has decided that anything he likes must be universally in great demand and therefore likely to sell out quickly. We have also hidden, at various other times and in other un-disclose-able locations, squishy rubber frogs at Target, a soccer ball, gum, and double chocolate Milano cookies. So, think of Alex the next time you go to a store and find some completely random item hidden askew behind a row of other, non-related items. Think of him, but don't your dare buy that hidden item!