Cortlen and Kellen have assimilated very nicely into their new roles as errand boys, especially when I throw in a little incentive.
"If you throw this diaper in the trash, I'll let you hold Dad's chainsaw for a minute."
"Okay!"
Camber, on the other hand, has proven to be a harder catch.
Me: "After you pick up the playroom, I"ll play Barbies with you."
Not Stupid Daughter: "I'll just play by myself."
After the old faithfuls of five year-old girl lures (free reign over my jewelry box, unrestricted access to my make-up) failed to generate any bites, I realized that desperate times called for desperate measures. For the next few days, if Camber makes it through the before school rituals without threatening to run away or actually following through with it, she gets to dress Cameron up in one of her doll outfits and call him "Cammie" for the afternoon.
English professors across the country will applaud my efforts to liberate my son from the oppressive confines of traditional gender roles. Everyone else will call my actions what they are: weird.
"If you throw this diaper in the trash, I'll let you hold Dad's chainsaw for a minute."
"Okay!"
Camber, on the other hand, has proven to be a harder catch.
Me: "After you pick up the playroom, I"ll play Barbies with you."
Not Stupid Daughter: "I'll just play by myself."
After the old faithfuls of five year-old girl lures (free reign over my jewelry box, unrestricted access to my make-up) failed to generate any bites, I realized that desperate times called for desperate measures. For the next few days, if Camber makes it through the before school rituals without threatening to run away or actually following through with it, she gets to dress Cameron up in one of her doll outfits and call him "Cammie" for the afternoon.
English professors across the country will applaud my efforts to liberate my son from the oppressive confines of traditional gender roles. Everyone else will call my actions what they are: weird.
At least she is negotiating with you - she could just dress him up or call him Cammie without you getting anything from it.
ReplyDeleteI love it!!!!
ReplyDeleteHysterical. I love it!
ReplyDeleteOkay the smile on Cameron's face is the 'Happy to be Home' post is simply priceless! :)
ReplyDeleteI see he was not all smiles while acting in his new role as "Cammie". LOL
I might have to try that one out, still don't know the sex yet of baby number three to be.. but my nine year old daughter has already threatened to run away if it's a boy! Not sure why, my 4 year old son is willing to do just about anything she asks, the other day she had him in a pink t-shirt and hairbows running around the house on all fours pretending to be a girl pig!
Just what every little girl dreams of, a baby doll to dress up how ever she wants. Too bad he isn't loving it as much as she is. Glad "Cammie" is back home.
ReplyDeleteThis is SO funny. Your creativity has paid off!
ReplyDeleteThe picture is priceless! And hilarious. Ingenious bargaining.
ReplyDeleteROFL! Your ideas and efforts never cease to amaze me.
ReplyDeleteMadam, you may very well be the devil...
ReplyDeleteoh he is going to kiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiill you in 18 years. Promise me on some dead relative's grave that you will PLEASE show these photos at his graduation, wedding, first date, prom, homecoming, senior night, or any other opportunity you have. Please.
ReplyDeleteI love it, but don't tell Ceara...she has be threatening to put a dress on Mr. Farty since day 1, and will be sooo mad if she finds out someone else actually got to put a boy in a dress!
ReplyDeleteSo glad he is home now, pink tutu not withstanding!
Oh my word, I am cracking up!!!!
ReplyDeleteI thought my oldest son would enjoy having a brother (one of the triplets is a boy), and the other day he says to me, "Mommy, I only like girls. Sissy (his older sister) can have Joel...OK??? I will keep the girls."
Hmmph.
Oh, Cameron will definitely think you're the Meanest Mom when you submit that picture to his high school graduation slide show.
ReplyDeleteYou're my role model.
ReplyDeleteI call that genius all around!
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ReplyDeleteThis is awesome! I'm totally doing this with my 6-week old boy. Imagine what I could get out of my six-year-old twin girls in return! :O) {I'm drooling just imagining DOUBLE the payload.}
ReplyDeleteGreat minds think alike. Please refer to the ironic timing of both of our posts, as my latest fit into a similar category, 'tho yours gets the standing O.
ReplyDeleteWe used to do this with my three younger brothers. We called them Betty (Ben), Josephina, and Fredrica. No worries, though, they turned as manly as could be.
ReplyDeleteI have to warn you about this:) My husband has an older sister who dressed him up like a doll a lot when he was little- and he's a little fruity today. Don't tell him I said that:)It makes for good pictures though!
ReplyDeleteMy mother-in-law used to sew dresses for our niece who was a few months older than our son, but small for her age. Since the girl's family was stationed in Germany, my MIL would try the dresses on our son to see if they fit. I never took any pics, darn it!!
ReplyDeleteAhahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha! Seriously! Hahahaha!
ReplyDeleteDangit! I have tried and TRIED to convince my hubby to let me buy those gorgeous dresses at Janie and Jack and dress my boy as a girl. But he just isn't biting.
Time to show him THIS post.
HAHAHAHA!
HAAAAAAAAAAA!!! I love it!! Hpw does your Hubby feel about his boy being dressed up as a baby girl???
ReplyDeleteI really love this post. I especially love the way it ends. :)
ReplyDeleteI must say I was REALLY confused when I saw this cute little baby girl on your blog. What had I missed?! It made me laugh to read about Camber's "reward" to dress him up as a little sister. So funny! He actually looks really cute in that little pink dress, even if he does try to burn those pictures when he's a teenager! :P
ReplyDeleteI think it's awesome Cameron fits in her doll outfits. That's much better than, "Wait, Jana bought baby GIRL clothes, too??"
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad that you are amused and not horrified by my actions. My husband is less than thrilled by my bargaining chip, but as long as Cammie disappears by the time he gets home from work, he says he can deal with it.
ReplyDeletepoor cameron. it looks like he doesn't love being dressed like a girl. but camber looks tickled pink!
ReplyDeleteI hope your husband isn't a faithful blog reader. He might yell at you as much as Cammie is yelling at his sister in that first picture. Pretty darn cute kids though.
ReplyDeleteOMG. your kids are the cutest ever!!! i am a new reader btw from singapore from the sunny equator! :)
ReplyDeleteHe makes a really pretty girl! lol
ReplyDeleteOHHHHHHHHHH...you can so tell he hates that dress. Bless his heart.
ReplyDeleteThat picture is priceless.
ReplyDeleteThe "Congratulations Cameron" yearbook page, the wedding slide show, the front page headline when he runs for political office....
Perfect!
Oh. My. Gosh. Too funny! I love that picture.
ReplyDeleteAND, I also wanted to comment that the smile on his face when coming home from the hospital is absolutely GORGEOUS!
(BUT - please slide the chest clip on his carseat up to his breastbone... it should be basically at armpit/nipple height.) Sorry for the unsolicited advice!
Anonymous: Thanks for the carseat tip! I give out plenty of unsolicited advice and am more than open to taking it! Especially when it concerns the safety of my kids! Thanks again!
ReplyDeletethat is the funniest! little girls are so nuts when it comes to girlie things, it's hard to remember what that was like. Who wouldn't want a Cammie?? love your blog, first-time reader
ReplyDeleteOh my god! I am STILL here and STILL reading as my Sunday morning slips into day... It's fricken 32 degrees celsius outside and I should not be sitting inside reading your blog, laughing at the misfortune of your children!! You really are evil!
ReplyDelete