Cal's Choice

Given his druthers, Cal would wear long sleeves and long pants every day of the week.  During the early days of what has to have been the hottest, driest summer ever, I established that he would not be wearing long sleeves and long pants in the heat by hiding all of his long sleeves and long pants in his closet, leaving only short sleeves and short pants for him to “choose” to wear.  This transition actually went pretty well, and there was little to no whining about this throughout most of the summer.  Mid-August, the heat broke; and we actually had some “cool” days, cool enough that long pants would actually be comfortable.  So we broke out a pair for him to wear one day – it was a treat for him and appropriate for the temperature.

Big mistake.  Summer heat was NOT over, and Cal had it in his head that he could wear long pants every day.  He found where his pants were “hidden” (on a shelf in his closet), and went to the stack every morning for a week or two after to pull out his long pants to wear for the day.  The summer heat returned, and getting him back into shorts was next to impossible without a battle, one that we decided was not worth fighting.  So he continued to wear his long pants in the 90+ degree heat.  I don’t understand it; and clearly, neither does he.

Earlier this week, Cal and I went through a bin of my sister's boys' clothes that she's letting us use (huge!), and we stumbled on a long-sleeve camouflage shirt.  Cal loved it.  Long sleeves and cowboy-like (yes, he associates camouflage with cowboys) is a winning combination to him. He put it on immediately and then wanted to throw on a pair of jeans. It was 90+ degrees outside.

So as not to squash his expression of individuality and still keep him from overheating, I decided I'd compromise with him and came up with this rule on the spot:  Long sleeves and short pants or short sleeves and long pants (or short sleeves and short pants, which he'd never choose) -- his choice. This must've had a rhythm to it because it caught on immediately with Cal.  That day, he chose long sleeves and short pants.  All days since he's chosen short sleeves and long pants, repeating the rule before he chooses it.

So back to the OK to Wake Owl (see 8/30 post).  Having nearly admitting defeat earlier in the day yesterday, I was hit by a stroke of brilliance as I put Cal to bed last night.  We exchanged good-night kisses, I told him I’m proud of him, we talked about what he’d dream about (the White School Bus, of course), and I told him to get lots of sleep because he’ll need it since he’s going to change the world.  Then it came time for some new stuff:

Me: “Okay, Cal, and there’s NO going into Ella’s room and waking her up in the morning.”

Cal: “I can wear long sleeves and short pants or short sleeves and long pants if I want to.”

Me: <ugh… in one ear, out the other> “Yes, Cal, you can.” <LIGHT BULB!> “Okay, here’s the deal, though: If you stay in bed until Mr. Owl turns green, you can choose what to wear; but if you don’t stay in bed until Mr. Owl turns green, then Mommy gets to choose what you’ll wear… and I’m telling you now that I’m going to choose short sleeves and short pants. Do you understand?”

Cal <smiling>: “Yes.”

Me: <say it another way to drive it home> “So that means that if you stay in bed until Mr. Owl’s face turns green, you can choose long sleeves and short pants or short sleeves and long pants or even short sleeves and short pants – it’ll be your choice.  But if you don’t stay in bed until Mr. Owl’s face turns green, I get to choose what you wear, and I’ll choose short sleeves and short pants because it’s hot out.”

Cal: <nodded yes>

Me: “Okay, so let’s shake on it.”

And we shook on it.

The first I saw of Cal this morning was with a green-faced Owl, just after it was okay to wake.  He did it, and I was proud (of both of us).