Learning the lessons we teach

I’m glad I waited one more day to write this because last night led to a pretty funny event.  For the past few weeks Connor has been either napping or sleeping over at Abuelita’s house.  It started out as just napping after pre-school which wasn’t really that hard.  He plays so hard that he comes home pretty exhausted.  Then one evening after a dinner at mom’s house and some pretty hardy play in the park behind her house, he asked if he could sleep over.  We got him all PJed up and just as we were walking out the door he reneged. By the way, for those of you keeping score at home, Abuelita is my mother and Nita’s mother is Grandmother.  Not Gramma, Grammy, meemaw, it is GRAND Mother, and one must annunciate the “D” and the “R.” 

Back to the story.  So recently we’ve started a Wednesday evening swim class at the Spicewood club.  Connor goes at 5 and Josie at 5:30.  To help us, mom offered to cook dinner for us since the logistics would push back meal times, bath and bed times.  She is also less than a mile from the pool, so it makes perfect sense.  Not to mention she is a great cook.  As a quick aside (more later), we had a few folks over this weekend and when I mentioned that my mother made a dish one friend said, “If Marco’s mom made it, I’m eating it.”

So Connor has been asking to sleep over and we were more than happy to accommodate.   Josie is not as excited about this.  She just wants to get fed, get home, PJ up, and her little pink elephant (of course it’s an elephant) is in her arms.  As soon as mommy or daddy starts singing her night night song, it’s all rainbows and unicorns for the next 10 hours.  Connor however knows that we don’t let him have sweets after dinner because if you remember from a few months back when he gets too much sugar he turns into a homeless guy on bath salts.  (Seriously? Too soon?)  Anyway, he doesn’t eat anyone’s face off, but he does get pretty silly and is harder to get to sleep on time. 

Abuelita has special rules.  You see, I have been asking abuelita to please honor our wishes around discipline and treats.  Most of the time she is great, but she has also invoked what she calls “Abuelita’s privilege.”  I think it is just south of covering up a gun running operation by the Whitehouse, but I digress.  Abuelita’s privilege as I understand it is that when mommies or daddies are watching, we follow those rules, but when they aren’t looking anything goes.  She said that she can give treats because she is his grandmother and if they grow up only remembering that she always gave them treats that she could live with that.  It’s kind of hard to argue, but we’ll see how this turns out.

Last night was swim class and Connor was really proud of his five second underwater training.  He’s not quite ready for SEAL training, but give him a break, he’s 3.  Anyway, we got to Abuelita’s house and ate and he’d asked if he could spend the night.  We said yes.  Of course we were prepared for this and brought all his gear. Now last time he spent the night he insisted on sleeping with Abuelita in the bed.  He even woke her up at one point and said, “Abuelita, STOP making that noise.”  So this time mom was prepared.  She’d made up her spare room to be everything a toddler could want, including a little water sippy on the night stand.  He had his lovie, PJs, and even had some new videos mom had bought. 

Here’s where it gets funny.  Connor requested that he sleep with Abuelita.  Abuelita said “no.”  She was insistant that he sleep in his own bed.  He refused.  She urged, he defied.  She reiterated, he held fast.  You see she had trained him that when mommy and daddy are gone, whatever that sweet little red head wanted was edict.  There would be no argument.  So let it be written, so let it be done. 

Well after a Mexican stand-off (pun intended) we got the call to come pick Connor up.  Nita and I LAUGHED and Connor was happy to be home.  I was kind of happy too that I got to give him one more hug and kiss before bed.  Oh the lessons we teach sure do sink in.

I should end it there but I do want to give a quick shout out to my wife and Buddies (and their wives and kids) for a pretty awesome father’s day weekend.  We had a little cookout at the house, our kids played; we watched the U.S. Open and a good time was had by all.  There is a neighbor of ours that has a custom cookie business.  Nita ordered each of the dads a dozen of a new creation called the “big Daddy.”  The big daddy has pretzels, toffee, macadamia nuts, and bacon.  Yes BACON!  See if I’d have started at bacon you would have quit reading. 

I’m sure Connor will eventually sleep in the spare room at Abuelita’s house, but I sure am curious to see how next week will turn out.  I wonder who will cave first.  Any gamblers out there?