New vs. old

Something tells me I should teach my 2-year old new words. Either that or I should stop reading to him The Berenstein Bears' New Baby.

"Daddy," my 2-year old said after I brushed his teeth one morning. "I'm not new anymore."

"What?" I asked.

"I'm not new anymore," he repeated.

"What do you mean you're not new anymore?" I asked.

"I'm old already," he said.

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Keeping my word

I'm on the second day of my 3-day no-Coke diet. Here's why:

"Daddy," my 5-year old said two days ago. "You drink too much Coke."

I nodded. Then I took another sip of my nth Coke of the day.

"You should not drink Coke for five days," my 5-year old added. His face showed a little irritation.

"Five days?" I asked. "How about one day?"

"How about three days?" my 5-year old said. He was negotiating.

"OK."

I agreed for two reasons. It tells my 5-year old that his word matters to me. It also tells him that I could keep my word.

"So what will be my reward if I don't drink Coke for three days?" I asked.

My 5-year old showed me his thinking face. Then he said, "Coke. Lots and lots of Coke."

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Wii

Three things I love about Wii:

• It develops eye-hand coordination.

• It encourages movement in front of the TV.

• It promotes perseverance when you lose; humility when you win. 

What I don't like about Wii:

• You need to let your kids play, too. Hmp.

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Three things I've learned (so far) about little boys

• No matter how much you tell them not to touch anything inside a store, they'll ignore you and touch anyway.

• No matter how careful you are in steering them away from toy guns, they'll find a way to craft one from everyday stuff—like that cardboard inside a paper towel roll, the one you hope they'll use as a telescope but end up as being the most powerful (and loudest, I must add) boom-boom gun in the whole wide world, as how my 5-year old puts it.

• No matter how much they fight and tease each other, they'll still be the best of friends at the end of the day (or ten seconds, give or take 5 seconds, after each fight). 

How about you? What have you learned (so far) about your little ones?

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Gallery Update I've updated my illustration gallery. I'd appreciate a visit and comments. Also, please visit my photo blog, mikeleonen.com.

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Lesson in sharing and patience

It seems more than a few parents are soon expecting their second child. To them, I offer this story:

Eldest child to youngest child: "Share."

Youngest child, responding: "No, you share."

Eldest child, insisting: "No, you share"

Youngest child, also insisting: "No, you share"

Eldest child, shouting: "NO, you share!"

Youngest child, giving up: "Waaah!"

Me, the little angry parent: "Both of you learn how to take turns. Be patient. Now."

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What is love?

Cherry Love. Photo illustration by Mike F Leonen. ©2008 mike f leonen. All rights reserved. No use, copy or distribution without prior permission.

"Daddy, I don't like you," my 4-year old said one time last week.

My heart skipped a beat. My eyes widened. I felt a little—

"I don't like you," my 4-year old explained, "because I love you."

[Blush]

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Purchase Availability. This photo illustration is available for purchase. $18 for personal use. For commercial use, please send me an email.

Note: I've been receiving a lot of inquiries about how to purchase photos and photo illustrations appearing in Something About Parenting and at mikeleonen.com. Some are available for purchase. Most are not. Family photos, without exception, are not available for purchase. If you're interested in letting me do Photoshop work—like Courage and Over the Moon—on your photos, let me know by sending me an email.

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Courage

Courage. Photo illustration by Mike F Leonen. ©2008 mike f leonen. All rights reserved. No use, copy or distribution without prior permission.

I like Bernard Waber's Courage. I recommend the book to all parents with toddlers, but with a warning: Ask your toddler to define courage at your own risk.

"Do you have courage?" I asked my 4-year old after reading to him Waber's Courage.

"Yes, I do," my 4-year old said without hesitation.

"Tell me when you showed courage," I challenged him.

My 4-year old looked at me, thinking.

"When the lights went off and there was a blackout, I did not panic," he said. "I only said that there was a wind storm and we should get flashlights."

I smiled.

He was right. When the lights went off around 7 pm last week, he calmly gathered all flashlights—including his tiny toy flashlight that emitted the Transformers signal when pressed—and placed these on top of the kitchen table.

"That's courage," my 4-year old said.

I nodded.

"Unlike Mommy," he added. "When there was a blackout, she shouted, Waaah!"

I smiled again, suppressing a laughter.

"You know what Mommy should do?" my 4-year old continued. "The next time there is a blackout, she should wear my Spiderman briefs."

"Why?" I asked.

My 4-year old looked at me, gave me the Duh?! face and said, "Because my Spiderman briefs glow in the dark."

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Grumpy

I admit. I’ve been grumpy for the past few days—weeks even.

“Could I ask you a question?” I asked my 4-year old.

“Sure,” my 4-year old said.

“If I’m grumpy, what do you think should I do?”

My 4-year old looked at me then said, “I will say, Daddy are you frustrated? Then you’ll say, Yes. Then I’ll say, Don’t worry, I’m here.”

I smiled.

“Then I’ll say,” my 4-year old added, “I will never give up on you.”

I smiled some more.

My 2-year old overheard our conversation. He had another view.

“Sit down,” my 2-year old said, pointing to the floor next to the wall. “Like that, Daddy.”

My 2-year old, I believe, wanted to give me time-out.

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Dear Santa

Dear Santa. Photo illustration by Mike F Leonen. ©2007 mike f leonen.

“Daddy,” my 4-year old asked one morning. “Can we write a letter to Santa and …?”

“Sure,” I interrupted him.

I love writing letters to Santa.

Then I realized something. It’s still 70-plus days more before Christmas.

So I told my 4-year old that Christmas is still about 10 weeks from now. I explained that each week is seven days and that each day is 24 hours and that each hour is 60 minutes and that each minute is 60 seconds.

“But ..,” my 4-year said.

So I interrupted him again to come out with another explanation.

“We still have to celebrate Halloween,” I said. “Then we’ll celebrate Thanksgiving. Then we’ll celebrate Christ …”

My 4-year old raised his hand.

“That’s what I’m trying to tell you, Daddy,” he said, interrupting me this time. “We’ll write a letter to Santa on Christmas. Not now.”

I blushed. I smiled.

My 4-year old rolled his eyes, shrugged his shoulders then said, “Duh?!”

Did I already mention that I really, really love writing letters to Santa?

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Writing a children's story

Reading, too. Digital Watercolor by Mike F Leonen. ©2007 mike f leonen.

I’m obsessed with fulfilling one of my childhood dreams—to write a children’s story. I’ve been that way since I tried sending a story to Hans Christian Anderson.

I was 8 years old then. Nobody told me Anderson was not accepting manuscripts.

Thirty-something years later, my children’s story is—so far—three words long.

So I do the next best thing. I ask my 4-year old for advice.

“It’s easy, Daddy,” my 4-year old says during lunch. “You get lots of paper and write. Then you get a stapler, staple them together and that’s it.”

Hmm.

It’s not that easy, I tell my 4-year old. I tell him about character and character development. I tell him about plots and sceneries. I tell him about leads and false leads. I tell him about twists and surprise endings.

My 4-year old looks at me. I look at him.

I wait. He waits.

“Well,” my 4-year old finally says. “I have to tell you this. Just do it.”

About the Image. Besides writing a children's story, I'm also obsessed with painting in watercolors. There is something about it. I should know. When I was in pre-school, my mother hired a tutor to teach me and my brothers and sisters to paint. My brothers and sisters advanced to oil. I was stuck in watercolor.

This is one of my attempts to imitate watercolor digitally. For another example, please visit my photo blog, mikeleonen.com. I’d appreciate your comments.

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