Stahlke Adoption

Asking for Favors

"Mom, can I rock tonight?"

Peter would rock himself to sleep every night, if I let him. But the motion disturbs the other boys who share his room, so I almost never let him rock. He is so insistent, however, that I finally told him he could rock once a year, on his birthday. Then he talked me into twice a year, by adding Christmas.

Christmas 2011 came and went, and he was so absorbed in the holiday that he forgot to ask for his special favor. He was distraught a day later, having missed something that he had waited months to do.

Ten days later, on Ukrainian Christmas Eve, he reminded me that it was Christmas. We had struggled so hard to get the older kids to celebrate, that I felt obligated to grant Peter the favor of rocking. At least he wanted it to be Christmas!

And again, last Thursday, he asked to rock. When I said no, he insisted that it was a very, very special day--his dad's 50th birthday. My response?

"I'll tell Dad that he can rock tonight!"

posted by Stahlkes @ 4:33 PM