Have I told you lately about my struggles with Lex’s behavior? I’m sure I have. He has turned into a cranky, grumpy monkey. The whole school thing, the stubbornness, the crankiness… It’s driving me crazy! Yesterday we were having a nice time playing in the snow when he suddenly pushed Eve over. For no apparent reason that I could see. Then, as she sat on the ground crying, and I tried to walk over to them in the deep snow, he picked up a snowball and threw it in her face!!!! That is NOT OK behavior in this family! I sent him inside and he gave me a snotty comment about wanting to go in anyway and then stuck his tongue out at me as he went in! Grr!! My friend and her son were over so we all tried to have as much fun in the snow as we could while Lex watched from the window. When we came everyone but Lex got hot chocolate. He cried. I told him that boys who act sweet outside get hot chocolate inside, but boys who don’t, don’t. He got over it quickly, but mumbled some stuff under his breath at me.

I want to blame it on outside influences, so easy to do, but I had a brilliant (I hope!) realization today. I was reading Calvin and Hobbes to Eve at lunch today and it struck me that all of Lex’s misbehaviors of late are very Calvin-esque. Very! So I rounded up the books and put them back in storage. Alan got them out a few weeks ago and the kids were excited. I know they are not age appropriate, but I thought the kids would get bored of them quickly. Turns out the kids LOVE them and read, or want them read, all the time. All the time! The comics are funny, of course, but obviously not age appropriate and I don’t think the kids even get the jokes. Lex seems to get the snotty attitude though!

So I put them all away. Eve fussed for a few minutes and then got over it. Lex fussed for a bit longer when he got home. He threatened to be be angry at me for the rest of his life. He promised to fight me. Then decided it would be a physical fight. I am proud to say I held my ground and did a superb job handling him and it didn’t escalate at all. After about five minutes he had moved on and I was feeling like a great mom! Yay for those moments!!

At our informal dinner tonight Eve read some good books she hasn’t read in awhile and Lex pulled out his dinosaur book. THAT’S what I want them reading! Lex told me about stegosauruses forming protective circles to protect their young from a tyrannosaurus rex, and he noticed that an author in the dinosuar book is also a regular contributor the Highlight’s magazine. I was so happy! His brain needs dinosaurs and good books, not snotty six year olds throwing snowballs at girls.

Good job mommy!

Operation Behavioral Change, Stage Two: TBD?