(Here’s a quick history lesson from Wikipedia:
“Question: Who first said the definition of insanity is to do the same thing over and over and expect different results?
Answer: That is often incorrectly attributed to Benjamin Franklin or Albert Einstein. In fact, it is a quote from a 1980s mystery novel (called "Sudden Death") by Rita Mae Brown. Sorry, folks - there's no great genius behind this one.”
Did you know this? I didn’t know that!)
Every morning, Kyle brings his basket of trains into the living room and dumps them in exactly the same spot on the couch, where he hopes to sit and watch his favorite movie, “All Aboard!” (from the Fisher Price Geo Trax that Jace and Lance got for Christmas.) Lance made a good point. Kyle didn’t even ask Santa for a train. He wanted a big fire truck. And now he claims ALL the trains as well. He’s lucky he has nice brothers, most of the time.
But anyway, it has been getting too repetitive for me to ask Kyle to put them back in the basket, which after some persuasion, he does obediently, only for me to find that within minutes they are dumped out at exactly the same spot, where he hopes to watch his favorite movie. You should hear him say it enthusiastically, “I want to watch Aaaallll Aboooooaaard!” It is adorable while, at the same time, touching my insanity buttons. He only gets this movie once a day, if that, but he continues to hope for a different result.
This week in an effort to protect my sanity, I began a new rule of, “No toys in the living room unless you are playing with the one you have at the moment.” And I moved the trains out of the basket in the living room to a box in the boys’ bedroom. They are welcome to dump toys in their bedroom for all their enjoyment and pleasure.
This morning, I caught Kyle sliding a box of toys, including the trains, toward the living room. I told him I was sorry that he may not bring his toys into the living room except for 2 trains.
I was so proud of him for obeying and stopping in the hallway with his box of toys, and continued with my chores, when I heard Kyle dump the toys out right there into the hallway. I muttered, “Thank you for not dumping the toys in the living room, but I would really like to be able to walk in the hallway.” as I carried on my morning routine. I didn't think much more about it, but when I came out of the kitchen a few minutes later, there was Kyle, sitting in his, now empty, box with the toys obediently out of the hallway (and moved into the laundry room). How thoughtful and sweet!
After which he insisted on taking more pictures like this:
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