My week with Donnie

What a C-R-A-Z-Y week! I am the master of all things bonkers but seriously, even this week has me saying "I think I need to see a shrink and invest in some happy pills." (Not for real...) Through this insane week my boys have kept me laughing. Donnie has inherited his mother's quick wit (Notice I do understand my "wit" is singular and not plural. I only have one... :) and his father's bargaining power. It showed up Wednesday when we had an issue over his shoes. Donnie has hit the "whine, whine, whine stage." It is seriously about to drive me up the wall. I said "Donnie, take your shoes off." Instantly the whine box "I caaaaaaaaan't, I caaaaaaaaaan't." They are croc's for heaven sake, yes you caaaaaaaaaaaan. After about 2 minutes of the I caaaaaaaaaan't he finally managed to slip them off. As soon as they were off he said "Can I have your phone?" I told him "No way! You were just whining and Mommy doesn't like whining. If you whine you don't get prizes." A fountain of tears erupted. By this time my mommy heart has turned off to all tears and I see right through this act. "Go to bed Donald Lewis Green. When you are done crying you may come out." Oh the wails that came from that room for about 5 minutes. Finally it got quiet and I heard his door creak open. He walked back into the living room and

with the tears still fresh on his face he says "Can I have your phone." I repeated, "Donnie! You WHINED about your shoes and then cried when I said no! All of that is very naughty! NO PHONE!" He meekly looks up at me and his father's bargaining side took over. "How about dis," he says, "Is this a good idea? How about I put my shoes back on, then take them off without whining!!" My jaw hit the floor. He's THREE! I am a grown person and don't think that way. (I agreed to his bargain too, the little jew.) Later that night as I was putting him to bed we were talking about how old he is. I asked him how old he would be on his birthday. He told me 4, and then I asked "What would you like for your birthday." Without batting an eyelash he said "A phone." I couldn't help but laugh and I told him that he's WAY too young for a phone but what else would he like. Again, without even thinking about it he said, "Money! Lots of money." He's not even a teenager yet...Lord help me. Probably my favorite Donnie moment this week was when I made stuffed peppers. Seth hates green peppers and since Seth wasn't home this week I thought I'd treat myself. I made some very delicious stuffed peppers. I forgot that I have mini-Seth's living with me though and BOTH boys hated the green peppers. I told Donnie "You have to eat ONE bite." After much bribing and a few dire threats he ate his bite. After he fulfilled his duty I scraped the insides out of the pepper for him. When I placed the pepper to the side Donnie picked it up and examined it. There was some white stuff on the inside left from the seeds. Donnie asked "what is that?" I told him it was part of the pepper, God made it that way." Donnie asked "God made peppers?" "Yes He did, Donnie" Donnie's next question... "So, God don't LIKE me?!" Today Donnie was a bit rowdy and I had to get onto him. He cried his heart out for a few minutes but then he developed a grouchy attitude about being in trouble. He stuck out his lower lip and started wallowing on the floor, wiping his face on my pillow. I started to scold him. "Donnie, no pouting and don't wipe your face on my pillows, please." Donnie looked very hurt and said "But I HAVE to wipe my cries (tears) off!" And finally, tonight I put Donnie in bed at 8:00. He's been sick and needs some extra sleep. At 10 I went to check on him and he's still awake!!! He had stripped naked, stripped his bed and all the bed clothes and pillows were on the floor! "Donald Lewis Green! What are you DOING?" Donnie said "I'm just finking" "Thinking about WHAT!" "I was finking about how I don't want to get in trouble" He didn't get in trouble. It's hard to scold a kid who's so cute and so quick on his "finking" feet.