Mother/Son Olympics

I love dates with my boys

And the Mother/Son Olympics the school puts on is Right up their ally

Chick Fil A for dinner

Then off for fun and competition at the school

This year the events included:

*Baby Rattle

(balancing BIG water jugs on top of one another)

*Backpack Attack

(matching the items found in the backpack with their shape on the table)

*Balance Sticks

*Egg Roll

(Using a piece of card board, fan an empty plastic egg to the center of the floor)

*Junk in the trunk

(strap a kleenex box filled with ping pong balls to your back side and bounce the balls out)

*Oh Nuts

(using a stick, balance bolts on top of one another)

*Rock Wall

*Sock Sort & Shoot

(match socks, roll them up and then make a basket with the rolled socks)

*Stack Attack

(cup stacking)

*3 Legged Race

When it was time to go home, my boys TOOK OFF!

Leaing me in their dust...

They didn't open the door for me

(something I have trained them to do)

And were fighting over who got "shot gun" at the car

I had a moment to think (by myself)

On my way to the car.

We'd had such a great night.

Do I let this go,

Or use it as a teaching moment?

I chose the latter.

I got in the car.

The boys were still standing in the parking lot

Fighting over shot gun.

I waited for them to work it out for a minute or so.

They didn't

Carefully I started reversing out of my parking space.

Tempted to leave those fighting little punks in the parking lot.

How dare they spoil this perfect night?!

As I started moving,

Their focus moved from fighting over shot gun

To simply getting a ride home.

I let them in the car.

And then gave them an ear full.

"We are on a DATE, boys!"

"A gentle man NEVER leaves his date!"

"A gentle man ALWAYS opens the door for his date!"

"A gentle man doesn't fight in front of his date!"

Each boy reacted a little differently.

Cooper was defensive.

Barik silently dug his heels in.

Andrew appologized.

Later that night, I found this note on my night stand.

It's a note EVERY mother wants!

One I will cherish for the rest of my life!

I often wonder if I am teaching my boys anything.

But this note is evidence that my efforts are working.