Trick-or-Treating

International Day

Halloween Test-Run

It's a little small for him, but I don't think Cole's giving it up.

The Con Artist

Yesterday afternoon when we got home Cole asked (demanded) to watch his dinosaur movie. I turned it on for him and Chase groaned. We are all SO sick of watching this movie, but Cole is stuck on it (It's the Land Before Time, Part 5,436 or something like that). Anyway, I left the room to get something and when I came back in, I could hear Chase "negotiating" with Cole to change the movie. This is what I heard:

Chase: (in a syrupy-sweet voice) Cole, how about we watch some other really cool show?
Cole: No. Me watch dinosaurs, Chase.
Chase: But Cole, you got to choose yesterday and now it's my turn.
Cole: NO. We watch DINOSAURS, Chase.
Chase: Well, how about if we flip a coin to see who gets to choose?
Cole: Ok, Chase!
Chase: Ok Cole, I'll flip this gold pirate coin. See it? Heads I win, Tails you lose.
Cole: OK!

As you may have guessed, Cole somehow managed to lose this coin toss. He took it like a good sport. I still declined to change the movie for my little con artist. Anyway, just a heads up -- if Chase offers to sell you some oceanfront property, run the other way.

More Art

Another of Chase's art class projects.

Outwitted by a 2 year old

I decided to give potty-training another shot. This time, I took the advice that has been offered to me again and again and I started using bribes. I bought a big bag of peanut butter m&m's and put them in a bowl on the counter. I showed them to Cole and then told him that each time he peed on the potty, he could get 1 m&m, and each time he pooped, he could get 2 m&m's.

He was intrigued by the concept. He went straight to the bathroom, produced approximately 3 drops of urine, dumped his little potty into the big potty, flushed, and proudly collected his m&m. He then repeated this SIX times -- in a span of about 30 minutes. He figured out that all he has to do is stop peeing mid-stream to maximize his m&m collection. The child has amazing control.

At this rate, I'll be out of m&m's by tonight, and I'm pretty sure he'll be done with the potty once the m&m well runs dry. I may as well just stick with the diapers. I think they'll be cheaper than all the m&m's I'll need.

Cole runs out of gas, Part II

Cole's misadventures today topped yesterday's. He and Chase were playing in the courtyard and I ran inside to go to the bathroom. When I stepped back outside, Cole had the container of weed killer that I had just put down in the storage room and was spraying our gardenias. Chase had watched the whole thing and was able to tell us exactly which plants had been sprayed and that Cole had not sprayed himself. Sure would have been nice if he had stopped him instead of just standing there watching. Cole just kept pointing to the gardenias and saying "I spray that weed." The weed killer is non-toxic and is now safely out of his reach, but Cole may have to get a part time job to buy mom some new plants.

Tonight I was trying to finish up a report before giving Chase & Cole their baths and putting them to bed. At about 8:30, I realized the house was too quiet. Given Cole's strawberry milk episode yesterday and the weed episode today, I figured I'd better investigate. Chase had fallen asleep watching football with Charles, and Cole was on the couch like this (probably just now coming down from his strawberry milk high).