Tommy Two Shoes and Manners

Oh the joys of toddler-hood!!

Some of our greatest laughs come from the mouths of babes. I just wanted to share a few of the more recent ones from our very own Tommy Two Shoes!!

I should first let you know that we are working very hard with Thomas on learning manners and showing respect to elders. We try to be as consistant as possible in reminding him to use ma'am and sir in response to an adult and always saying "please, thank you, your welcome, etc." It has become second nature to most of us and we will remind him without evening thinking about it.
I guess after awhile he picks up on that and starts to learn the lesson...... however, sometimes the lesson is not always learned the way you intend to teach it and you get instances like the following:

The other evening we were all sitting around the dinner table eating dinner. Timothy got up to get him some more to drink and while he was up fixing his drink Thomas asked Bubba if he would get him some more apple juice. Here is how the conversation went:

Thomas: "Bubba, would you get me some more apple juice?"
Timothy: "what do you say?"
Thomas: "Please and thank you!"
Timothy: "Ok"
Thomas: "NOOooo Bubba!!!! You say, 'yes sir!!!!'"
Timothy: "I don't have to say yes sir to you"
Thomas: "Yes you do! You have to say yes sir when you answer!"
Timothy: "Bubba's not going to say yes sir"
Thomas: "You can't fix my apple juice then until you say yes sir!!"

At that point we all died laughing!! Poor Thomas though did not understand and continued to be infatic that Bubba respond to him with "yes sir". I tried to explain the difference to Thomas between adults and kids and he just didn't get it. By the end of the conversation that child was thoroughly confused!

Another instance of not quite comprehending the proper use of manners:

When Daddy tickles the children he has always had "mercy phrases". This means that when the child has finally had enough, they will use this phrase and Daddy will stop tickling them. It never ceases to amazes me as to how much the children will take before they will finally use the 'mercy phrase'. If it were me, I would be using it before the tickling even began!!
So one night Scott, Thomas and myself were wrestling/playing on our bed. Scott and I would take turns on one holding Thomas while the other tickled him. Thomas refused to use his mercy phase and just laughed and laughed and laughed. Scott and I were enjoying this tickle fest until Thomas put a whole nother spin on it. Tommy's 'mercy phrase' is "I give up", well Tommy kept saying over and over again between bouts of laughter to Scott, "Stop Daddy, stop!!!" and Scott continued his merciless torture and kept asking Tommy, "What do you say? What do you say?". Finally, with all the strength Tommy could muster, he belted out, "NO THANKS PLEASE SIR, NO THANKS PLEASE SIR!!" He kept saying that phrase over and over again and Scott and I just lost it! I guess Tommy thought that he wasn't asking Daddy properly to stop so he was going to use every key word that Mommy had taught him when it came to manners!

I know that we are living in a high-tech society, but it's not until your children point it out, that you really realize just how high-tech you're living.

The other night I was getting Tommy ready for bed and he was in my room and I had walked out to go get something. When I came back in, I asked him what he was doing because he was crouched in the corner and I could tell that he had one of the cell phones. The conversation went like this:
Mommy: "Tommy, what are you doing?"
Tommy: "I'm texting my best friend."
Mommy: "No, you don't text, give me the phone"
Tommy: "But Mommy, I have to text Gabe this really cool game so that we can play it tomorrow!"
Mommy: "No, you're not suppose to be texting and you know that. Besides, it's time for bed"
Tommy: "O tay.... Let me text him that I have to go to bed and I will see him in the morning."
Mommy: "No, just give me the phone"
Tommy: "But if I don't tell him goodnight then he will keep texting me and you will get mad because the phone will keep beeping!"

I'm telling you, this boy is too smart for his own good!! And he has been listening to WAY too many conversations between his older siblings and Scott and I! I'm not sure if I should be proud that my three year old knows what AND how to text (he can't spell yet so it's just letters, but he knows where to go on the phone to send a text!) or if I should be embarrassed! Either way, I can already tell we'll have our hands full!!