Summer rambling....

Man, it is HOT! But, where are all the people to point out that it has been a VERY wet summer this year? No panic about the drought, watering bans, etc. We were in a hurry to fill up our pool to beat the watering ban on it bc we waited too long last summer and missed our chance. Now, we haven't got to use it much because it has RAINED so often and it stays yucky!

Other news....

Noah has eaten vegetables! Pretty much every single meal since his four year check up has included something new. He ate green peas (hidden in a mound of mashed potatoes), he tried strawberries, he tried kiwi (which he liked..they taste a little like grapes have you noticed?), he ate meatloaf and declared it his favorite (ha!), he ate ham without protest, he ate one bite of crab soup, and then we come to this past Saturday.....

Broccolli casserole and black eyed peas on the menu.

And it was the end.

Almost for everyone! Now, he has eaten all the above things, but more often than not a round of time out and counting and taking away his DS game the next day have been involved as well.

This time we crossed the line into a new realm of behavior. It was NOT fun!
He crossed the line into previously un-tried behavior.
He lied: deliberately and deceptively.
I had cleared his plate except for the one black eyed pea and the teeny bite of casserole. It was getting late and I HAD to get started on baths, so I went to get Katie started and told him that he had to eat what was on his plate and come show me. I told him to come show me when he ate it or it wouldn't count.
About 4 seconds after I sat down beside the bathtub he came running into the bathroom: "Mommy, Mommy! I ate it! I ate it so fast nothing got on my teeth! see?!"
He showed me his perfectly clean mouth.
hmmmmmm.....
Upon going back into the kitchen, there sitting on top of a milk jug in the trash (I know! I know!!!!!! sorry bethany! our containers are full!), is ONE black eyed pea, and a very small perfectly formed bite of casserole.
He saw me looking at it.
He said, "That's from where you cleaned my plate off in the trash."
Well.....it is 99.9% likely that those items on top of the milk jug were from his plate, BUT on the .1% chance that he was telling the truth I decided to let it go for the time being.
I said, "Well, you didn't come show me so it doesn't count." and I re-supplied the bites.
He was distraught.
I reasoned that if he ate the other bite so fast, then he wouldn't have any trouble doing it again, but to come show me.
Well....after much much debate, trouble, etc, (making a very frustrating and long story short) the bite was never eaten "again."
Noah has lost the priveledge of playing with ANY toy in the house for two entire days and I think he has learned his lesson.
I should really be thankful that really, this is the first time we have had to pull out any sort of punishment besides just a time out. We have awesome kids! They will behave, obey, stop their behavior, etc all for the reason of "children obey your parents," but this eating thing with Noah is his breaking point. Since we haven't ever really had to break out the "big" punishment before, he really just didn't understand what it would mean to not be able to touch any toy in the house for two entire days. AND, believe me, it was a gradually work up....it started with 1 toy from his room ! *agh* I know you wish you could have been there, right?!
So....when Corey got home from practice and our angel Noah is STILL sitting at the dinner table with a timer set that will seal his punishment and I say, "You are going to have to do his bath, I just can't do it right now".....it was a sad evening indeed.

Well...to wrap up the lie situation:
We were already in a conflict about his eating the vegetables. I thought I was pretty sure he had lied about putting the food in the trash...BUT
I just didn't want to punish him for lying since there was that chance it was the truth. I did not look at the trash before I left the room. If I HAD punished him for lying and he hadn't lied, I truly believe it would have been a more grave mistake than just letting it go since I didn't have proof. I never want to punish him for something he didn't do....what rebellion could that bring on?
So...I decided to just talk to him about it.
We did devotional time individually that night and the title for that day was: "Being Like Jesus."
Talk about perfect timing!!!!!
The question for the night was "What can you do to do the right thing and be like Jesus?"
So...I talked to him.
I told him that Mommy and Daddy love him so much! That we love him when he is sweet and nice and when he obeys. And, that we also love him when he is getting in trouble or being mean. That we love him when he tells us good things, and we love him when he tells us bad things. That we always love him and that he can always tell us anything in the world he wants to tell us. BUT, that we have a job to make sure he grows up to be a big strong boy like Jesus.
So..."Is there anything you want to tell mommy about?"
"Yes, he replied."
*breakthrough wow so soon* I thought.
What is it? I asked.
"Mommy.....(he got really close to me, we were on his bed)..."Your eyes look very real."

!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!?!?

"Okay......well...is there anything else you want to tell me about, tell mommy the truth about?"

He buried his face in his pillow......."I told a lie okay!?" he said.

Just to be sure, I said, "What?"

He sat up and said, "I told a lie,"

"About what?" I asked.

"I told a lie about putting my food in the garbage, I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry!"
There were no tears...but....he did confess.
He said he felt better. He told Jesus he was sorry in his prayers.

Now, we will see how things go tonight at dinner. After a time of confession and two days without his toys.
On the menu?
Um....mini corn dogs (noah's request for the week) and, oh, we have some leftover broccolli casserole and black eyed peas!!!!
I wonder where he gets that stubborn streak?!