Dillon

Today Dillon got a package in the mail from Munu (that would be grandma Joyce). He is having his tonsils and adnoids taken out Wednesday so she sent him a coloring book, some money for popsicles and ice cream and a big bag of M&Ms. The book and money were for him and the M&Ms were for him to share with the others. It came right at the end of lunch time - the boys were finishing up pizza. Well, of course as soon as Zeke saw the M&Ms he was done with his pizza and milk. Zane was a little concerned that nothing was for him but when he found out that Susie was supposed to share the candy he was okay. Now comes the time for him to do the actual sharing. Zeke is still sitting in his chair whining for "locklat" and Susie is saying that no one can have any until he finishes his milk. He'd take a little sip, put his cup back down, pick up the bag of M&Ms and shake it, put the bag down and take another sip of milk all the while telling Zeke "not yet." Then they start arguing over who gets what color. Zane wants blue and Dillon knows this so he says Zeke gets the blue ones and Zane can have the purple ones. I tell Dillon that everyone can have all the colors. Dillon finishes his milk and I ask him how many he is going to share with the boys. Three. That's all. Do you know what happens when you give Zeke three plain M&Ms and tell him no more? It's not pretty. Dillon wants 6 for himself. Zane counts his then Dillon's and quickly realizes that he got ripped off. I ask Dillon if they can have three more. He's not sure he has enough for them to have three more. So I take the M&Ms and put them all in a baggy so he can see how many he really does have and then it's okay to give the boys three more. Everyone has six. Everyone's happy, except Zeke. For him six is not any better than three. As Susie gets down from the table he tells me that when the girls get home from school he will share with them too. They can each have two. You give a 3 year old a little power and look what happens! Not very often does a little boy have that kind of control over his older siblings. Just holding those M&Ms in his hand gives him all sorts of special treatments and promises. I think it is one of the best things that has ever happened to him! And for the rest of us, it is rather humorous to watch how their bargaining skills are and what can be accomplished with a few M&Ms. Hope you all have a great day!