We are firmly in the classic three-year-old stage of wanting to do everything "by myself!" That's generally a good thing for me, since I can use all the help I can get.
It can also be exasperating. For example, when you're trying desperately to get everyone out the door and someone insists on doing something by himself, but is taking FOREVER to get it done. Then you try to help without him knowing you're helping and he realizes it and gets mad and starts all over again, so it takes even longer.
Well one of the big new skills they boys are trying to conquer is putting their underwear on all by themselves. (Underwear! Can you hear the angels singing? I'm so happy about this, even if it takes forever for them to do it themselves!)
If the underwear are inside out, it's a lost cause. They can't figure out how to right them. Usually they just choose another pair from the basket in the bathroom and leave the previous pair on the floor. Which leads to a lot of extra laundry. But I'll take it over poopy pants any day!
Anyway, the boys almost always put their undies on backwards. I understand why they do this: They want to see the picture of Lightning McQueen or Buzz Lightyear, and the big picture is always on the back, not the front. I keep telling them the picture goes on their bottom, but it's apparently not sinking in.
So today I tried a new technique. I pointed to the front of the undies and said, "See? Your winky goes in this little pocket."
As soon as I said "pocket" I knew I'd made a mistake. We love to put things in our pants pockets.
Not two minutes later I caught Alex trying to stuff something in the "pocket" of his undies.
I thought he had a car in his hand so I said, "That's not for cars, buddy."
He showed me what was in his hand and replied gleefully, "It's not for cars. It's for coins!"
That gives a whole new meaning to the term, "Family jewels."
