Hey Mom, when I get big like Jared I'm going away to college, so don't get rid of any of my things...my toys and stuff... because I'm going to take them with me.  Eli

I somehow have the feeling there is a conspiracy going on in my home.  You see I am not a keeper, hoarder, pack-rat, but my husband is.  I have basically had to keep everything Eli has ever worn on his body and most of his toys and books.  Now, according to Eli, I have to keep everything he now possesses and all future purchases. Can you imagine, 13 more years of Christmases, birthdays, and good behavior bribes?  So now I have not one keeper, hoarder, pack-rat, but TWO! I suppose it is possible its just genetic. But considering the genetic source, I am more inclined to believe they are holding secret, keeper, hoarder, pack-rat meetings.

Observation...

You can find out a lot in the car on the way to school.  Today I heard Eli ask Ariana to look at his legs.  He kept asking until Ariana finally took a look.  I heard him say, "What is that?".  Her reply after looking past the obvious was the obvious, "Hair?".  Eli said, "yeah, it's hair like my daddy has on his legs. He has hair all over. He looks like a moose!"
For the record, I am NOT hairy like a moose!

Labor Day

Well, Today we got Eli a responsibility chart thinking that this might help him remember to do the things that he needs to do. It's a really nice magnetic one with numerous jobs and behaviors for kids and smiley face magnets that say "WELL DONE" and such, when tasks are complete.  Eli was so excited! Sherri and I picked out his first three chores; pick up toys, clean room, and do homework.  He picked out the other four: get dressed, take a bath, put dirty clothes in the laundry room, and feed the cat. The problem now is that he keeps changing out his chores with the extra ones so that he can get the rewards. He has also tried the approach of doing the task multiple times in order to get the smiley face, ie. he has wanted to take four baths today and I think our cat has been fed so much she is starting to look like Garfield!
The only chore/responsibility that Eli is not to happy with is the sharing one. Today, Ariana's friend came over and ate lunch with us. Ariana fixed her a corn dog which Eli believes to be exclusively his.  He did not want to share.  He climbed into my lap crying and I tried to console him by telling him that he would get a good job smiley for sharing. He thought for a moment and said, "Dad, do they have 'X's'? I'll just take an X for that one."

Sucker

Well its Friday and the end of Eli's second week of school. Until today, Mrs. H had what I considered to be an effective behavior management system in place. You are rewarded at the end of each school day a sticker or a slash.  The sticker of course for good behavior, the slash for inappropriate or disruptive behavior.  The reward for good behavior is at the end of the week, if you have all five stickers, you are allowed to go the the treasure chest. Which FYI according to Eli is not a treasure box, because it doesn't have a lock and it does not contain gold, just toys.  Anyway, Eli got a slash today for excessive talking, playing and continuing in foolishness. So no trip to the "treasure chest". Now that might bother some children, but Eli has already made a very important discovery.  When he doesn't get the grand prize he gets a consolation. He was sitting in the backseat telling me about his slash while unwrapping  a sucker. He said, " Its alright Mom, I get candy when I'm bad".