6 weeks = social smiles

Another Race

Yesterday we were getting ready to go to Sam's T-ball practice. Sam and Grace were all ready to go and waiting by the door, and Rob and I were finishing up some things and almost ready. Now, you have to know that Sam and Grace will turn almost anything into a competition, and one of our regulars is who will get to open the door and leave the apartment first. So while they were waiting for us, they were jostling each other at the door. Sam decided to take charge. He backed up about 5 feet from the door. Here is their conversation:

Sam: Let's have a race to see who gets to the door first. Come and stand next to me.

Grace: No

Sam: YES Grace, come and stand next to me.

Grace: You mean in front of you?

Sam: NO Grace, come and stand right here pointing emphatically to the spot right next to him

Grace: You mean.... behind you?

Sam: repeat of his last comment...increasingly frustrated

Grace: You mean....right in front of you?

Sam: No Grace we're having a race! Come and stand next to me!

She strung him along for a bit longer before I intervened. The race, obviously, never happened. And I can't remember who actually made it out of the door first. Not that it matters. What does matter is that I'm getting more and more worried for my poor, literal, gullible son!

Smart, that one.

So it's been kind of a day. Nothing specifically bad, but just frustrating. Whiny kids, lack of sleep, trying to figure something out on the sewing machine and not. I just had an episode with Sam. Earlier this afternoon, Grace got out her little stroller for her doll. She probably played with it all of 5 minutes, after which found something more entertaining, at which point Sam took over the stroller, played with it for quite awhile, and then left it right in the main thoroughfare through the living room. That's where I come in. I asked Sam to put it away and then had a much too long discussion over whether he should put it away since he played with it, or if Grace should put it away since she got it out. Once that was settled (Sam's responsibility to put away), we had another episode over whether he'd be able to undo the clasp that holds the stroller up. We reached the point of Sam collapsed on the floor yelling 'I can't do it, it's too hard!' before Grace stepped in and handily took care of folding the stroller up for Sam. At this point I retreated to the bathroom, ostensibly to use the facilities, but really to have a break. While in the bathroom, this conversation was overheard:

Sam: Grace, lets have a race. The first person to touch the stroller gets to put it away.

pause during which I presume Sam started the 'race' and got no response from Grace

Sam: Grace, we're having a race! The first person to touch the stroller gets to put it away. Ready, set go!

Grace: I'm not going to race. 

Sam: C'mon Grace, it'll be fun!

Grace: Sam, you have to put the stroller away.

It's nice to know that Grace can't be manipulated by her older brother. The funny/somewhat sad thing is, I wouldn't be at all surprised if the race ploy would have worked on Sam if their roles had been reversed!

Little Pink Mushroom

Thanks Grandma Vy for the very cute hat!!!

(and for the blanket she's laying on)