Friday, November 9

AP Moment of the day ~ patient parenting.....

We went for a quick walk this evening. The sun was getting ready to go down and so was the thermometer! We set off well enough, me, Beans, Captain Destructo and the dog. Captain Destructo decided to jump the sidewalk cracks "Moing! Moing! Moing" and so we all jumped along too... well... not the dog... you know, she has a smidgen of pride!!... We make it around the neighborhood and were on the final leg... We were just across from our house and down a bit...what?.... it's a measure of distance!! ... it's very technical!! All you have to do is leave your house, cross the street and walk " a bit " ... look back and you'll see how close we were to our house.... anyway, ....... We were across the street and down a bit when Captain Destructo decides to sit down. "I stay HERE!" he firmly declared. Hmmm. Well it's a bit chilly out and getting cooler by the minute. Surely his bum will get cold and he'll change his mind. Nope. Not the Captain. This guy is as stubborn as a really stubborn thing!! We play the old "OK!! Bye!!! See you next week" trick. Nope, nothing. He's staying. Meanwhile the traffic is increasing and neighbors, friends and foe were all peering at us as they cruised home. (Typical, I'm sure they thought. Crazy woman and her kids....!!) So I dig deep. I mentally scanned through all the parenting books I've read lately. I trolled the chats we've had on the booklist, rehashed conversations and dragged up past events looking for inspiration!!... AHA!!! I found some!!! Beans, the dog and I all sit down next to him!!! OK Mister! If you're not going, we're not either!!! I figured he was looking for some way to connect. He wanted us to show that we were with him, we loved him and we wouldn't leave without him!! Solidarity, Brother!!!. So, we sit. And yes, the concrete is cold. He gets up... and runs off. Sadly not towards the house, but further away.. a bit. He sits. We get up and sit down again with him. He gets up and runs further away still. We follow, but are getting a little frantic now....it's colder still and we are FURTHER from home, and cocoa, and warmth!! :D We try encouraging words...... "Come on, we're nearly home....!!" We try bribery "How about a COOKIE when we get back?!!" We try scare tactics...."If you sit here alone a policeman will come and take you away!!!" and finally, we use the old tried and true. "I'm going to carry you home young man, whether you like it or not!!!!!" What?!?!? SOME of it was AP!! ;D I told you... I'm a WANNABE AP Mama!! :D

Ah well... maybe next time?!? !:D

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