This morning I’m trying to teach a lesson in manners while there’s a little action…William “found” a penny on the desk. Parker is trying to nab this penny with all of his 37 lbs. against William and his stout, steady, firm positioning of 77 lbs. Will is holding with all of his might, vim, and vigor to his ‘find’. In reality, it’s a hopeless case of you snooze you loose. But, I try to teach them how to manage this battle…By stopping them from this quite comical, cartoonish exchange. But, of course I’m as stern as a TC can get…and don’t crack a smile at what is going on, I’m trying to stand as firmly as William with out the comedy.

I make a demand for the penny while I speak to them about it all, then change my mind as this special penny is tightly grasped with Fort Knox fingers.  So, I ask William where did you find the penny? He shows me how it doesn’t belong to anyone because he found it on the desk and points to the area of the desk it was waiting for him to pick it up. Oh! I see, it doesn’t belong to anyone, because it isn’t in their possession! Why couldn’t I see that?! I tell him because someone isn’t holding it doesn’t mean it doesn’t belong to someone. NO! he states…it doesn’t see it was RIGHT HERE! Somehow I don’t think that find a penny pick it up and all the day you’ll have good luck applies in this case.

Parker (as usual) interrupts and says, “NO WIIILL, it’s MY PENNY! Bemember Mom? I gibbed it to you last night when I was going in the tub. You said I couldn’t have it, and you didn’t gibbed it back to me.” He’s right. I didn’t ‘gibbed’ it back to him, and I did place it on the desk.

So, I make my first attempt to explain at this point that it IS Parker’s penny. “Will, it is his penny. Do you like pennys?” “NO, I LIKE THIS PENNY!. I found it, and it’s mine.” He retorts.

I had made their lunches earlier and they’re all lined up on the counter. I childishly grabbed William’s lunch box, and made a squished up mean face and said to him, “This is MY lunch box, I found it.” Oh the look on his raised eyebrow face, “Uh no Mom, you know’d it’s not yours! That’s not funny.” “I found it William, it’s MINE!” I said, this time with a whiney voice. (Lyndsee seems amused by my mimicking, and role playing. She totally gets it! Thank goodness!) I grasped the lunch box like it was a teddy bear and snuggled it,because I really wanted it. William didn’t like this at all. So, I set it down and said, “Do you see? I found your lunch box just like you found that penny.” Funny thing is I saw he knew he was loosing this battle, but still wanted to stand strong with what he wanted vs. what was right. He was going to put it in his pocket, and Parker just couldn’t handle it. “WIIIILL! That’s my penny!” he squealed. I asked Parker to use a nice voice and ask his brother for the penny. Confused as he thinks the entire time he’s been nice about it. “Will, give me my penny.” He says. I direct Parker to not demand the penny, but ask nicely. He gives it another whirl. “Will can I have my penny?” William does this twirl like he’s in another land, and rolls his eyes. Both fists clinch and bolt straight down at Parker’s sides in frustration. “William do you like pennys?” I ask him again. “Yesth, I do.” “Let’s try this” I say…Give Parker his penny and let him know you’re sorry, then say “Hey Mom, I like pennys do you have another one in your purse I can have?”

He drops the motts in Parkers gleeful receiving hand, who now is twirling around like he’s in another world.

I go to my purse and jingle it and there’s a lovely lint collection of change at the bottom. I select a penny for William and it’s from 1989. I remark, “This is a perfect penny for you, it’s from the year I graduated High School.” I find a penny for Kimberly who’s been a spectator (this stuff is good for her too), I look at the year. “Meems this one’s from 2008! What happened in 2008?” She says, “I had a birthday!!!” Fair enough. Parker returns and hands Will his prized penny we’ve worked so hard to get (35 minutes), and says “Will you can have my penny. I want one of those quarters instead.”

OH MY GOSH! I had to laugh! Lyndsee did too…