Pickle Picture Posting

New onesie, courtesy of his uncle.

Always Check Your Sources (And Pickle Update)

"Mumma, you know how daddy write stories about me on the computer and makes money?"

"Ummmm, yeah..."

"Can you read them to me?"

"Why, buddy?"

"Because I want to check it."

Thanks, Shelby, for telling him I have AdSense set up on this blog. He is now wanting some form of profit sharing...


Pickle Picture Posting:

Sorry for the alliteration, I couldn't help it

Now Stay Away Redux

The Gremlin has decided that his signs were so effective (as his brother hasn't touched ANY of his toys yet...) that a disagreement he and I had today resulted in:

That's right, four new signs!

I should probably highlight the disagreement, first. For the first time since Pickle came to be with us, the Gremlin & Co. went to the grocery store. The haul was more than the Gremlin could ever imagine - ice cream sandwiches, fruit snacks, and more!

One of the things was a bottle of Vitamin Water (which the Gremlin was already accustomed to), purchased by the Mother of the Gremlin, who later realized that it was not her favorite flavor, but mine. She graciously gave it to me, and while she was napping with Pickle, I decided to share it with the Gremlin.

I should have realized from the signs made for Pickle that it wasn't going to work out, but between the sips I was taking and the cheek-busting mouthfuls the Gremlin was taking, the Vitamin water quickly disappeared. Unfortunately, I didn't realize this because I was doing the dishes.

I finally caught on, and snagged the bottle. The Gremlin saw there was one sip left, and he grabbed the bottle. I didn't want to emphasize that the strongest person wins, as that just sets up future confrontations, so I let go.

"Please do not drink the rest of my water." The Gremlin looked at me, and downed the last of it.

I was feeling rather petty at the time, so I turned to the freezer, pulled out a fudgecicle, and began eating it in front of the Gremlin. His eyes got wide.

"May I please have a fudgecicle?" The Gremlin asked, now on his best behavior.

"No. You did not listen to me when I asked you to not drink the rest of MY water that I was sharing with you, so I don't feel like sharing my fudgcicles with you." I sat down at the table and finished it off.

The Gremlin sat for a minute, and then promptly hopped off his chair, grabbed his markers, and headed for the scrap paper. By the time I was done, he was ready.

"Daddy, may I please have the tape?" I cut him off a few pieces, and went to go fix the MOTG's computer.

When I returned, I was walked through the following:

No eating fudgecicles

Followed by:

No eating ice cream sandwiches

Which was followed by the much more levelheaded:

No fighting over Vitamin Water

However, is superseded by:

No asking the Gremlin not to drink the last of the Vitamin Water

Introducing: The Pickle (Now Stay Away!)

This week the Gremlin was forced to welcome a new addition to our family - the Pickle.

Pickle

The Gremlin responded well initially, however we believe that to be due to the fact that Pickle brought him the Bionicle he wanted.

Unfortunately, I mentioned to him that Pickle would soon want to do, and play with, everything the Gremlin liked. This caused a great amount of consternation, until the Gremlin figured upon a solution he had used with me.

At the Coolest Birthday Party Ever, the Gremlin received a set of magnets that were sold as noisemakers. I, personally, always enjoyed lab science classes and attempted to make a rudimentary rail gun with these.

The Gremlin, in classic 4 year-old form, became jealous that was I enjoying his toy more than he was, and wandered up to the Mother of the Gremlin one day while I was out at work.

"Mumma, how do you spell 'don't?'"

"D-O-N-apostrophe-T."

"What's 'postrophe?"

"It's a punctuation symbol." This did not satisfy the Gremlin, however he filed that question in his "stalling trying not to go to sleep so I ask how things work" category.

"D-O-N-T. How do you spell 'touch?'"

"T-O-U-C-H."

Yeah, he'd already spelled 'STOP'

The MOTG and I have found this so hysterical that we have tried very hard (most of the time) to respect this sign, so the Gremlin thought it would work in this case as well, just a few days later.

He asked me about putting signs up in the house, and I informed him that I would be fine with that, as soon as his brother could read. I also clued him in that we weren't entirely sure he was able to read.

The MOTG informed me later the Gremlin told her his feelings were very hurt by that, and so after an apology the following sign is now hanging at the bottom of his door (that's right, the bottom - so that Pickle can read it when he crawls in their room) - 'Please Don't Touch My Toys.'

The Gremlin's handwriting on the right "says the same thing, but in kid"

Favorite Toy of the Week: (aside of Nitroblast) General Grievous Puzzle