Toy Explosion

The boys had played all day while I did some work around the house. The boys wanted to go to the pizza buffet and I was more than willing to pass on cooking and cleaning dinner.

I told them that they had to clean up all their toys — strewn from their bedroom to the den and back — and then we’d go to get pizza. It took the better part of an hour to get everything cleaned up. Then we hopped in the van and went to dinner.

The boys both ate nearly their weight in pizza. When they said they were all full and done, I let them go to the little game room to look at the racing games in there. (We don’t play the games, they just like to look at them.) Before we got up from the table to go to the game room, I made sure with both of them that they were, indeed, completely full. “We’re not having a snack or anything else before bed. This is dinner, and we’re not eating again until breakfast.”

We have to lay this rule down every night or else Calfgrit4 pulls the little “I’m hungry” stunt as an excuse to stay up from bed just a little bit longer. He used to wouldn’t eat his dinner because he knew he could get a snack before bed. We’ve mostly broke him of this gimmick.

After the game room, we left the restaurant and got into the van. As I put the vehicle in reverse to back out of the parking spot, Calfgrit4 laments, “I should have eaten more pizza. I’m hungry.” He had eaten six or seven slices of pizza and a cinnamon roll for dessert! He ate more than I did!

Then when we got home (a nice and neat home), I got Calfgrit8 into the tub for a bath first. Calfgrit4 was left to play for a little while, and I got on my computer to check my messages.

Ten minutes later, I come out of my office and find Calfgrit4 has toys ALL OVER THE PLACE! Their room and the den were more of a mess than when we started cleaning it up before going out to dinner. IN TEN MINUTES!

It was like a toy bomb hit, and poor casualties were laying about everywhere. “What in the world!” I almost shouted.

“I wanted to play before bath,” Calfgrit4 said.

“I know, but, but, but,” I just stood there waving my hands at the scattered mess.

Bullgrit