Yes, I am a Flip-Flopper!

Do you ever feel like a flip-flopper as a parent? I swear those wish-washy, change your stand on the big issues every five minutes, politicians have NOTHING on me. I had the funniest (and frustrating) experience with Scotty yesterday when we went to pick up Hayes and Ty from school. The process alone, of picking them up, can be can be very frustrating! The school doesn't have a decent parking lot (it's off limits to parents before and after school), or even a circular driveway so I have to park my gigantic car in a parking lot at a park almost a block away, in a space big enough for a small sedan, or if available on the street by the park (which is on a pretty steep hill). Then, I walk into the school and pick-up Ty in front of his classroom (it's all-day Kindergarten and they require a parent/guardian and NOT a sibling to pick them up). Then, I go get Hayes across the campus, and then walk up the hill to my car. The whole process takes about 45-60 minutes depending on where I can find a parking spot.

The experience with Scotty consisted of me, pretty much begging him to walk instead of hauling out the HUGE double stroller...he was insisting on the stroller because he didn't want to walk up that hill, and I certainly didn't want to push the stroller up that hill, yet again (he currently weighs in at thirty two pounds, Caroline at twenty-eight pounds and the stroller around 17 pounds). I'm not lazy, but the whole process is exhausting! I told Scotty that he's such a big boy--big boys can walk--they don't need to be pushed in the stroller--I'd let him run through the little patch of woods on the walk back to our car---he could walk on the little stone fence and I'd hold his hand so he wouldn't fall--best of all he would get to be a big boy like Hayes and Ty, and so once I'd convinced him that he is in fact, big enough...he walked. Woo-hoo, I WON! Thank goodness, I mean look at him, he's so cute and funny...it makes it very hard to say to no to him!

Then....after picking up the kids, making our way up the hill, loading in the car, getting everyone in their appropriate seating restraints, Scotty, decides since he is so big and can walk instead of ride in the stroller.... it is now time to use a seat belt instead of his car seat. He's just a few pounds away from a booster and so I explained to him he is surely big enough to walk...but not quite big enough for the seat belt. Then...his little face turned all red, he had "that tone" in his voice that meant serious business and told me in no uncertain terms, "Mom, my head is getting so high (I think he meant tall), you just told me I am big enough to walk...I AM BIG ENOUGH FOR MY SEAT BELT!" When did he become so logical? He's only three!!! So needless to say, I stuck to my flip-flopping parenting style (yes, you're big enough, wait...no, you're not big enough) and he remained in his car seat all the way home.

I do try to be consistent with most issues, but there are times when I, like our current government need a little wiggle room. I echo the Gerber commercial when it says something along the lines of, "These are wobbly times in a wobbly world".