Simon gets more respect than I do.

I start this post with something a little different than the title, but stick with me for the details on Simon.

Sunday night, I was working on a project on the computer with Joshua at my heels. He got awfully quiet, which normally scares the dickens out of me because most times it's followed by a loud crash, an "uh oh Mommy" or the shrieks of pain. When I turned around, this is what I saw:

Evidently, he has decided to transform his "Sit & Spin" into a "Stand & Spin". Inventive, but dangerous. The faster he got it going, the more he loved it. And then he appeared drunk when he got off of this death trap and stumbled across the room into his table and chairs. Gotta love boys.

And now back to Simon.

Our relatively compliant, tub time child has turned into a bit of a rebel lately. As I think back on the transformation, it directly correlates with the time that we switched him into his big boy room and transitioned into doing our work that requires his cooperation on his bed instead of at his changing table. I'm one of those people who religiously used our changing table with Joshua. He was always so squirmy that me standing up and having a little bit of leverage, while he had limited space in which to squirm, was a help. We never really had too much trouble. Now, however, attempting to get him to hold still while I get him undressed or dressed is becoming quite the ordeal.

Last evening, after returning home from National Night Out one tired, fat lady, Joshua was wound up. It was tub time, so I rounded him upstairs and started the same routine we've always used. As I was asking for his cooperation, he was rolling about on the bed, hiding under the pillows, jumping up and down....I think you get the picture. (Actually, Mom and Libby...it's exactly the same thing he does when we're there and I'm trying to get him ready for bed.) So I've already shared that I was tired and fat, but let me reemphasize that. I had been standing on my feet in 86 degree heat at National Night Out since 4:00 pm. It was now 8:45 and we were just beginning what would require every last ounce of my remaining energy.

Desperate times call for desperate measures. I turned it into a game. And so, for the next hour, Joshua and I played Simon Says with his bath routine. "Simon says take off your socks." He did it with a smile. "Simon says stop jumping on the bed." He does it on the first request. "Honk your nose. Aaaaah....I caught you. Simon didn't say." Then we giggled. This went on until he was undressed, scrubbed, rinsed, dried, teeth brushed and pajama'ed. Brilliant, don't you think? The only problem I had with it as the night went on is the painful realization that Simon is most definitely getting more respect from my son than I am. And he's never even met the guy. Hmmm.