<h3>Lessons in walking on the path</h3>

I really should have blogged this last night when I had it all composed in my head...instead of 13 hours later after. Let's see if I can recreate it...

Liam, Teresa and I went for a walk yesterday morning down the "Goose", and Liam and I spent most of our walk playing "Eye Spy"..."I spy with my little eye, something that's yellow and gives mommy hayfever"....Liam is now really good at recognizing the difference between Seagulls (Shithawks for you Easterners) Crows, and Robins. I explained to him why the early bird is a Robin and why he gets the worm, and discussed the best way to pick wild roses, without destroying the whole bush.

Liam is really well behaved as long as I don't put any restrictions on him. As soon as I lay down a rule though...look out.

Liam was walking along the side of the trail in the grass, when I looked down and saw a nice pile of dog doo in his path.

"Liam, please don't walk in the grass."

"Meim, wants walk in grass"

"Liam, we need to stay on the gravel, because the grass is where dogs go pee and poop. If you walk in the grass you might step in some and that's icky!"

"Where's dog poop?"

"That's dog poop right there Liam"

"Where?"

I point it out to him. "Right there."

"Where?"

*Sigh* "Liam, just get out of the grass."

"No, Meim wants walk in grass"

"But Liam I don't want you to step in dog doo."

"Meim wants step in dog doo"

"Ok, whatever, but you won't be coming into my house with dog doo on your feet"



Of course I couldn't let him go through with it, although I'm sure a Super-Mom would have. We fought and bounced off each other for a lot of the walk after that. I feel like I've let the perfect opportunity to teach him a valuable lesson on consequences slip away. Nothing like stinking all of the way home and then getting hosed down when you get there to make a lesson stick. As much as I wanted an excuse to hose down my "Extremely Inquisitive and Irritating Infant" ("EIII !!!!") I couldn't make myself break that barrier I've put there for myself. The one where I have to protect my child from doing things that might hurt him, make him sick, teach him the wrong things, or make him socially unacceptable.

I think we both have problems with our boundaries right now...