Big Brother Brilliance

Overheard around our home over the past week or so ... (as seen on facebook):

I had just exited the shower and I was getting ready for the day in my bathroom.  Big Brother entered and sweetly asked, 'Mama, can I watch T.V. while you finish getting pretty?'  Well when you put it that way ... Yep.  He was allowed to watch PBS Kids while I finished getting ready.

Big Brother and I rarely have knock down arguments about anything (typically not his temperament) but yesterday, we did.  It was partly (mostly) my fault - he was tired, probably on the verge of hungry and being his 3.5 year old self.  I was hurrying to get everything together (meal for a friend, piano teaching bag, purse, diaper bag, Little Brother, etc.) and out the door in 10 minutes or less and I asked him to help put on his jeans (still working on getting dressed by himself) and his shoes (since the addition of a chart with rewards this week, he's been magically getting those shoes on with very little assistance).  He was dragging himself, laying down, across the floor instead of even finding his jeans (which he had chucked into the living room while not happy with my request) and then he was walking around in my sneakers instead of putting on his shoes (while cute when not in a rush - oh my blood was boiling because he knew he was pushing my buttons at this point).  I was feeling-less-than-patient and dumped him into the van while he was screaming for his shoes which I brought but I had stopped talking to him at this point so he didn't know they were in the car and he was just pitching a fit.  After a few minutes of driving, him calming down and deep breathing on my part, I attempted a conversation about all of the behavior that had just happened and I was asking him why he thought I was mad and he chirped, 'but I'm really great at apologizing'.  OH BOY!  I swallowed back a laugh and a smile and was thankful he couldn't entirely see my face since I was driving.  I did continue the conversation because it was important for him to understand his lack of obedience but that little 'chirp' was sure a memorable moment.  AND sure enough, within about 5 minutes of me being done talking to him, he was sound asleep.  Sigh.