The "Player"

My son is becoming quite the player. I am sure he has always been a manipulator of my emotions but lately he goes to great length to win my affection and sympathy. Last week we were out eating lunch with Mimi and Aunt Lib. He was a little toot all through lunch. I was trying to clean him up as we were getting ready to leave and he kept fighting me and saying no. I got on to him in a very stern voice. He turned around and looked at me with the sweetest smile and then he leaned in and gave his mad mommy a kiss right on the lips. I was stunned into silence and when I looked up Mimi was trying to hold her laughter in. He then consented to my cleaning up efforts and we left the building. Some of you might think my stern voice just whipped him into shape and his kiss was a tender apology. But no I saw the look in his eyes-playful and cunning. He knew exactly what he was doing and that I would melt under such sweetness. And of course I did. I can't resist kisses from my Tobers. 

Yesterday he had some lab work drawn for allergy testing. Last year when he had this done he whimpered for a minute and then forgot about the whole ordeal. This year he milked the sympathy all day. He was quite brave while the nurse performed an arterial stick on his arm. He sat in my lap and I held him close. As soon as the needle stuck his skin he started crying quietly but he sat very still while the nurse collected 2 vials of blood. I didn't realize I was crying too until we left the office and I felt tears on my cheeks. He cried all the way to the car while I repeatedly told him how brave he was. In the car I had to kiss his "boo-boo" several times. Throughout the day he would show his boo-boo to me and then give a little fake whimper. He heard me telling his Mimi about it on the phone and he held his arm up and whimpered for a second and then immediately went back to playing with his cars. He had to tell his Daddy about it when they talked on the phone before bedtime. He even held his arm up to the phone so that Daddy could see his boo-boo.  He is very dramatic like that.  

The player has a certain gleam to his eyes when he knows he is about to do or get into something that is off limits. He will even look at you and smile sweetly if you catch on to it. He has even gotten brave enough to go ahead and do the forbidden task. The player is also very sneaky and as quiet as a mouse. We always know when he is up to something because it gets so quiet. But I love my little player. He has his moments but mostly he his a good boy. Last week we had VBS and I decided to help with the older kids instead of working in his class. He had so much fun without me and I really enjoyed my 1st graders. Ironically we had 8 boys on the first day and only three girls. These boys were rowdy and rambunctious and I loved each one of them. I know God was giving me a picture of the years to come. Glorious days with my rowdy and rambunctious boy who knows how to pull his Momma's heartstrings. I can live with that.