no matter...

no matter how irrational or crazy it may seem...it really was important for us NOT to throw away boy's holed up gringy icky socks. Even though he has several other pairs that are in perfect condition and the same as the ones that needed tossing...to him, the holed up gringy icky socks held a special spot in his heart and the very idea of tossing them in the trash was more than he could handle...meltdown ensued.

It makes no sense to me. It will never make sense to me. But to him, it all makes perfect sense and to him, those socks have a heart and have been with him through many fun adventures, evident by the holed up gringy icky'ness of them.

So, what can you do? Don't throw the socks out, let the tears subside...and pray that someday you will be able to ditch those gringies...

..but even then I know he will count his socks and figure out they are missing!

not a good start to the day

This morning we got to school and Boy realized he left his science homework at home. I should have triple checked everything like I normally do, but the long weekend really made me forget the routine. He was instantly upset, even though other kids had also forgotten. He is an extreme rule follower so forgetting homework really ends up making for a crappy day!

I like to think that the look in his eyes upon forgetting his homework will make me that much more diligent in making sure he does not forget again, but here is one of those "learn and live" situations that he can learn from. Just like any parent you want your children to learn by the mistakes they make - "oh you forgot your homework and it made you feel awful, then next time you will make sure you check before we leave".

The hardest part of all of this is picking and choosing the battle. There is nothing more valuable in life than these lessons that we learn to deal with as children, but I find that I sometimes shield him from these things because the lesson learned does not feel as important as the potential tantrum/meltdown it would cause.