No Will Power

Earlier this week, we decided to take the whole family to Walmart. Grant wanted to buy his brother a light saber for Christmas so that the three guys in our family could play light sabers together. We counted out his money (his OWN money from his piggy bank) and set aside $7. We went to Walmart, found the GREEN light saber (Star Wars sword), tested it right there in the aisle (yes, it is a good fighter) and put it in our little cart.

Then, Grant saw the Disney Cars section. There were new cars.

It has now been 18 months since we saw the movie for the first time, and Grant is STILL obsessed. He collects the die cast cars. NOT the plastic ones. NOT the plush toys. NOT the huge ones. NOT the pull back ones. He wants the real thing. He owns about 6 different Lightning McQueen's (2 regular, 1 Radiator Springs, 2 Dirt Track, Dinoco McQueen . . . and I think that is it), 3 Ramones (purple, green, yellow), 2 Doc Hudsons (regular and Hudson Hornet). Get it? If another version comes out, Grant HAS to have it. He has ALL of the cars. Well, he did until this night.

Little did Grant know, Mitch bought a bunch of new ones about a month ago and has been hiding them until Christmas. I forgot which ones he bought, so when I saw RPM when we were down in California for Thanksgiving, I bought it. Now, Grant has 2. This is how it happens. Grant will be receiving Bling Bling McQueen, a new Doc Hudson with ear phones, a red Ramone, a Tex Dinoco, a Dinoco Chick . . . and maybe more. I can't remember.

Okay, so back to the story. Grant LOVES these cars. He starts trying to negotiate with me. "Mom! I'll pay you back! But they only cost $3! I have $3 at home!" Grant is FOUR.

We got up to the checkout and he is still trying to negotiate, but I can hear the frog in his voice that is telling me that he is on the verge of some serious emotional pain. Still, I hold firm. His throat is aching with his attempt to stay strong, but I could just see the meltdown coming, so I sent him with Mitch to get into the car.

When I got there, Mitch was standing outside in the cold rain with the boys safely tucked into their car seats and the doors closed. "We had a serious Meltdown," Mitch says.

We got in the car and Grant is SOBBING. Poor guy. If he only knew! I told him he had to get control of himself. It was time to stop crying. He said, "But, I cccan't ssstop."

"Yes, you can," I replied. "It just takes will-power."

"But I don't have any wwwill-pppower!"

And, so it began. Grant now uses that phrase ALL the time. "It just takes will-power, Cole. You can do it!" "I don't have enough will-power for that, mom." It has been fun listening to the different ways he uses his new phrase. All in the appropriate context. Very smart kid!