Candy thief

Every year, one of our neighbors brings over a treat-filled plastic pumpkin complete with a toothbrush and glow bracelet for trick-or-treating for each child.  Truthfully, we don't really need to trick-or-treat after her goodies!  She admitted that Halloween is her favorite holiday.  It's very sweet of her.

Anyway, I tell you that to say the kids go bananas over the treats.  Lily is disciplined enough to know she has to ask before getting into her pumpkin for a treat.  Jackson, however, is a work in progress.

The other afternoon, I was focused on a project and hadn't realized Jackson had grabbed the stool from the bathroom (a new trick of his) and brought it into the kitchen.  He secretly reached into his pumpkin and grabbed a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup.  As soon as he caught my eye, I saw a little 2-year-old body running around the corner with a flash of orange from the wrapper in his hand.  I called him back in the kitchen from the other room, mistakenly thinking that he would listen and bring the candy to me.  Oh no.  I called twice, and usually by the third time, Mama is not happy!  In the midst of this battle, Lily called out to me "Mooom!  He's eating it!"

I was angry.  I marched into the living room and there he was, mouthful of Reese's, holding the wrapper, staring at me.  I grabbed the wrapper, noticed he only took a bite, and immediately asked him to spit it out into my hand.  Now, this is the kicker.  He shook his head "No" and put his hand over his mouth!!  I couldn't believe it!  So I spanked him and off we went into the bathroom to spit it into the toilet.  This didn't work either!  I watched him as he half-heartedly spit into the toilet all while chewing and swallowing the Reese's in his mouth!

I don't know what I'm going to do with this boy! Apparently the discipline was worth the flavor of the Reese's!