Thomas has discovered the art of softening hearts. This boy, troublemaker that he is (see pretty much my whole last two weeks), loves to make people happy. This includes himself. He doesn't like getting in trouble. Who does? But he has found that he can lessen his unhappiness (e.g. Consequences) with three simple words. "I love you." Yes, the little booger has found the way to his mama's (and daddy's) heart. When he thinks -- or knows, depending on the severity of the crime -- that he is about to get in trouble, he rushes over to me, wraps his chubby little arms around my leg, looks up at me with those adorable green eyes, flashes me his best smile, and says "I love you, Mommy!"
Ugh! How can anyone stay mad at a kid who does this? What a stinker! And the worst part is that it works on me. Yes, I'm hanging my head in shame. The little things get lost in those puppy-dog eyes, and the big things tend to get knocked down a bit.
I have gotten a bit better at recognizing the difference between random declarations of affection (because he does that) and attempts to get out of trouble, which, it turns out, is a good things since he's started preempting my discoveries of his naughtiness with these affections.
And it's not just me. He does it to Jay, too. He's been out of town since Thomas started this, so he's only just receiving these manipulations, and he's a total sucker. But not to worry, give us a few days and we'll build up our immunity again. If Thomas had snuck out of bed and into the kitchen at 6:30 a.m. to eat 6 Lindor chocolates a week from now, he'd be getting more than a deep breath and a backyard banishment.
Survival instincts: 1, Parents: 0
No comments:
Post a Comment