Four Feet More

You may not know it to look at him, but my son is brilliant. And stinky. That boy emits gas fumes more rank than anything I have ever smelled before. Being a boy, he's naturally proud of this talent.

Yesterday, Vika was a pill. She needed to clean her room before we left for a birthday party, but she found every excuse she could think of to delay doing the work. Eamon, on the other hand, was a little champ, and got the huge mess in his room cleaned with little fuss or complaint (this is not usually the case - generally Vika is the champ and Eamon is the pill when it comes to room cleaning). Since Eamon's room was done, he had some extra time to play, and he made good use of that time, driving his new matchbox cars around on a street-scene mat in the living room (complete with car sound effects, of course).

Vika came downstairs and pouted as she watched him play, saying how unfair we were, making her clean her room. Eamon just kept playing with his cars (zzzzssssshhhhh - that's his car noise). Vika complained to me some more about cleaning her room, and I said, "Vika, I think it would be a good idea for you to go up to your room and finish the job. Then you can come down and play." She stubbornly remained where she was, refusing to budge. Eamon kept playing with his cars (zzzssssshhhhh). This went on for a while, with Vika complaining and Eamon and I not engaging in the fight she so desperately wanted.

Then suddenly, Vika let out a shriek and yelled "Ugh! Stinky!!!"

Zzzzzsssshhhhh. Eamon kept playing with his cars.

Vika began gasping for air and plugging her nose: "Stinky! Eamon POOTED!" ("poot" is the word for "fart" in our house). Eamon calmly ignored her and kept pushing his cars around on the mat.

I interrupted Vika's gas chamber drama by saying, "Vika, if you were in your room, like you're supposed to be, then you wouldn't smell Eamon's poot right now." She shrieked again and ran away, covering her nose and mouth with her hands.

After she left, Eamon got up from his mat and walked over to me with a little smile on his face. He leaned in close, flashed me a double thumbs up and whispered, "Good job Mama!"

The little punk had planned the whole thing! He pooted to make Vika leave the room, and it worked! I laughed so hard. Who knew he had it in him to be so cunning? Vika better watch out. Eamon's got some tricks hidden up his sleeve, and I think we all may have underestimated him a bit.

In other news, Vika made it into this month's FRUA Family Focus. If any of you get that magazine, check out the regional news, and you'll see a photo of her with a friend at the pumpkin patch. Some people at the Nor Cal regional office must have submitted the photo, because we didn't, and it was a fun surprise to see her in there.

Now it's back to cleaning up the mess in our house and finding a place to put all the Christmas loot. I hope you all had a wonderful holiday!