"This is awesome," Josie said as she walked into the store and stared up at the aisles of toys in wonder. That was the first time she's ever used that word. And probably only the third or fourth time I've ever taken her to a toy store.
It was unexpectedly fun. We wandered the aisles and played with the various display items that I had no intention of ever buying. I told Josie and Owen they could each pick out one thing and steered them away from anything too big or too expensive.
I've realized that whatever we buy, its much easier to just buy too of the same. So it was important to get them to agree. I didn't care if Josie convinced Owen to go for the pink barbie megaphone or if Owen conned Josie into agreeing on the train filled with jumbo blocks. Whatever we were buying they both had to agree and it had to be the same thing for both of them. I've learned my lesson the hard way too many times.
We talked at great lengths about why it had to be the same thing, about why that had to agree and why they couldn't just share the two different things with each other.
"Because every time we buy something different, you both end up wanting the same thing. And its always a fight when the other person doesn't want to share." I explained. "Just pick one thing and we'll get another one for Owen." I was so proud of myself. I thought I had solved all my problems just by creating one, simple rule.
Later that day, we were sitting on the couch watching a show before Josie and Owen went down for their nap. Owen got scared while Dora was trying to rescue the blue bird. Owen leaped into my lap. Apparently, Josie was scared too because she burst into tears and tried furiously to push Owen out of my lap to make room for her.
"Josie, what are you doing? You can't push Owen," I said.
She stopped, crossed her arms and pouted her lips. "I want my own mom," she said.
"Well there's only one," I said and realized I was probably better off letting them pick out their own toys and learn how to share.
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