The Dawdler vs. the Runner

A few Bennyisms from the last few days.

While playing hide and seek at the park.  "Ready or not, here my come!"

Singing along with the See 'n Say.  "The farmer in the jail, the farmer in the jail, hi, ho the dairy oh, the farmer in the jail!"  Apparently, the farmer took a king's gold. (What?)

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With only two kids in tow these days I have discovered I have a piddling child, and a runner.  Olivia is the worst dawdler I have ever seen.  She drags her feet, she gets distracted.  I know her legs are short, but so are Benny's.  She doesn't want to hold my hand and when we get too far ahead, she runs after us screaming at the top of her lungs.  "Wait!"  Anywhere we go, she. is. so. slow.

This might not be terrible if the other child walked at a normal pace.  But he doesn't.  He runs, everywhere.  So whether its the library or grocery store or dry cleaners, I'm trying to stay where I can see both of them and repeating constantly, "Hurry up!  Slow down!  Come on Olivia!  Wait Benjamin!"  All the while feeling like I'm watching a tennis match.

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Benny made his own lunch today, PB&J, carrots
and goldfish.  Good boy!

In case you can't tell, Benny is a knight.
Notice the helmet, sheild and 'sword.'

My kids have never been allowed to eat anywhere in the house except the kitchen.  That being said, I usually find apple cores in the boys bedroom, goldfish under the couch and currently am working on two red Gatorade stains on my carpet.  They have gotten so terrible lately I've really started cracking down.  Anyone caught with food anywhere in the kitchen gets severely punished.

Joe and Olivia seem to be towing the line now, but Benny... instead of making him more thoughtful and obedient, my crack down seems to have made him more sneaky.  This morning, the only sign he was eating on the couch was his jaw working up and down.  He had found several hiding places to keep his food out of sight and still be able to reach it.  Not only that, he's learn to palm his food, so I can't see him holding it.  The grape he was eating came from a bag stashed inside his toy castle.