My Good Egg

Quick reminder -- anyone in the Chicago area with kids, I'm giving away a family four pack to Disney on Ice for Februay 2!

***

Mister Man had a good week at school this week, thankfully. His school is doing a great job of working with him and coming up with solutons (in addition to what we're doing at home), and they appear to be working. Ironically, my lesson to him that he needs to think about wht he's doing and decide if he'd like it if someone else did it to him is what appears to be sinking in the most -- or so he says.

Because he's had five green days, he earned a Bakugan (love the $1.99 Aldi sales!). Because he (finally) had a full week of straight green days, he earned a trip to go see The Princess and the Frog.

That second reward has been hanging out there for awhile. In fact, it's been since before winter break, if I recall correctly. He had been so despondant and was convinced that he'd never see the movie. Give him a few more weeks, and he wouldn't have seen it -- apparently it's near the end of its run already.

When I saw him for pickup on Friday, he came racing towards me with a huge smile on his face, which I knew was a good sign. Mom! Mom! I had a green day today! My whole week was green! Mom, do I get to go see the movienow?

Yep. Most definitely. I would have canceled any plans I had to ensure that he got to see the movie he earned. Fortuntely, it didn't come anywhere near that.

He requested permission to call Grandpa, and I handed over my phone.

Grandpa! Grandpa! Guess what! I had a green day again today, and I get to go see "The Princess and the Frog" this weekend, and do you want to come with me to see it, too?

Uhhhh, ok. We can add Grandpa. No problem.

When we arrived home, he ran immediately up to Little Miss (who had been home taking a nap and thankfully my husband was able to get home before I had to pick up Mister Man so I didn't have to wake her tired self up). Little Miss! Little Miss! I get to go see "The Princess and the Frog, and you get to come, too!

Ummm, well actually I was sort of planning on definitely not taking her with us, since she's never been to a movie theater before but seems to swallow a jumping bean every ten minutes or so, which just doesn't seem like a good combination. And I wanted her to nap during the time we'd be going. And it was really his special thing.

Before I could open my mouth, however, Mister Man turned to me with his eyes pleading. Mommy, I can invite her to go with me to share my special treat, can't I?

And when he puts it that way, how can I say no?

When my parents arrived yesterday morning to take the wee ones to swimming lessons (it's "their thing"), not surprisingly, Mister Man invited my mom to join us at the movies, as well. Daddy had also been invited in the interim, but he was coaching and unable to make it.

My nice little treat with Mister Man -- a not too expensive $15 or so endeavor -- was suddenly not so little and not so inexpensive. Since when was a 1:05 show a $7.50 per person experience?

But everyone enjoyed it. There was a part where a star was created that made me cry. The wee ones were slightly scared at a few parts. (Really, Disney? It is necessary to be that scary in every G movie?) But the loved it. Little Miss saw her first movie ever, and she was just about completely still -- and quiet -- the entire time (except when she leaned over to ask me if she would be asleep in bed at that time because she was tired). And today? Mister Man has been telling everyone he sees about how he had a green week and how that meant he got to go see a movie and how he got to share his special treat with his whole family (forgetting that Daddy wasn't there, perhaps?).

I'm just hoping that this is motivation for him for next week and the week after. And I have to admit that I'm more than just a little bit proud that Mister Man didn't want to hoard his special moment and that he wanted to share it. He's a good kid.