Thursday, August 16, 2012

Keeping Boys Quiet in a Waiting Room

B, G, and I waited for Josh in a waiting room for about an hour tonight.  Yikes!  I'd brought a book for G, and for a while, he looked at it while B perused Highlights magazine.  After about twenty minutes, though, G abandoned the book and B claimed it.  This was our first crisis.  G only wanted the book if B had it; B wanted the book mostly to tick G off.  I ruled in favor of B since I couldn't prove that he was being a jerk, and because G needs to learn that if you leave it, it's fair game. 

Luckily, there was construction just outside another window in the waiting room.  If only the machines had been running, the boys might have been occupied for more than five minutes.  After that time, G began climbing on B, and a wrestling match was in the making.  I separated them and we took a bathroom break. 

When we returned to the chairs, books were out.  G was getting antsy.  I found a matchbox 4-wheeler in my knitting bag and handed it off to G, who was content.  B was upset, though, because he didn't have a vehicle.  Referee again. 

Once that became boring to G (and just after I spanked him for raspberrying at me when I told him to sit), I noticed the box of buttons in my knitting bag.  Thank God I like to knit.  I dumped a handful out for G, who happily lined them up, then curved them into a "rainbow", then circle.  B wanted to play, too, so I gave him a handful.  He wanted the 4-wheeler to drive on his "obstacle course", but I foresaw another fight, so I gave him 2 large blue buttons to use as a pretend car. 

G hopped in and out of his circle, then picked up all the yellows.  Then I had him pick up all the pinks.  Then he picked up all the browns.  Twenty minutes of peace!  I tried to snap a picture, but B had destroyed the course in the time it took me to click "camera" and "click" on my phone.  Oops!



PS: for all you fellow worriers, there were no little kids around.  We were also very careful to be sure we picked up every button before we left!

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