Thanks where Thanks is due

This morning I had to rush the boys out the door to take the car to The Car Place, where they listened when I told them the car was making a flat tire sound even though there was no flat tire. A little over an hour later they told me they rotated the tires, charged me twenty bucks, and I drove off, the car still making that flat tire sound.

But getting the boys dressed and fed and out the door was an effort. Mostly because both Nicholas and Nathan now have a full understanding of "Free Will" and a finely developed sense of "Selective Hearing," so I have to repeat the same requests several times a day, every day. And I need to request every step. I can't just say "Get Dressed" I need to say "Take off your clothes" but even that is too much sometimes and I need to narrow it down to "Take off your pants" but many times it need to be prefaced with something like "Climb out of the clothes hamper" or "Take your finger out of your brother's ear."

This morning, as I was putting together the diaper bag and making a bottle, I was trying to get Nick and Nate to GET WITH THE PROGRAM, which was, of course, "Getting in the car", only they were confused and thought it was "Running around and spreading toys all over the house." I looked up and shouted out to the first child I saw "Put your shoes on."

Nick was talking, but he wasn't talking to me. I think he was talking to Mario. And he was walking back and forth in the dining room, very busy, but mostly very involved in ignoring me.

"Nicholas, put on your shoes!" I shouted. "Get your shoes from the shoe mat and put them on your feet!"

Nothing.

"Nick! Shoes! Now!" I yelled, picking up Andy, who was already crying, and making an attempt to strap his wriggling form into his car seat.

Nicholas kept talking, but suddenly he took a deep breath and said "Mom, Thanks for reminding me about my shoes!"

Seriously? I didn't know what to say.