He Won

Everyday no matter how the weather is clearly exhibited out our window Xander ask?

"Is it sunny today?" On those rare days I reply with a "yes", he immediately proceeds to say, "Then can I wear shorts?" and I always have to be the bearer of bad news and reply, "No, even though it is sunny it is still freezing."

Xander loves shorts so much that he is has been known to risk his life to get some. After battling Xander all winter long about when it is appropriate to wear shorts, I finally collected all the shorts and put them up in a bin on the tallest shelf in Xander's closet. Surely he won't reach them. He is barely 3 feet tall and that is 7 feet tall and I declared myself a good Mom.

Less then 30 minutes latter - Xander is wearing shorts again! "What?! How did you get those? Show me." With a smile ear to ear he proudly takes my hands and walks me to the closet. The rubbermaid container is on the floor with the contest sprawled about. "How did you get these?" I requested/demanded. His smile widens and he points to the ladder that was used for the bunkbeds that is leaning on the other side of the closet. Then in true Xander form, barely being able to keep up with his own excitement he says, "I climbed up on the ladder and, and, and then I jumped and knocked the box down and, and, and got the shorts." Feeling grumpy that I was outwitted by a 3yr old I mentally vowed to be the winner of this ordeal. "Fine. Then this box has to go on the top shelf in the garage." I sneered with victory. Now it is 9 feet in the air and no ladders in sight. Although I knew he could climb the shelves if he was so desperate, I figured he would get hurt or scared before he got to 9 feet in the air. I felt confident that although I may have an ER bill on my hands - he would not be wearing shorts when I take him there. Take that Xander. Just try to wear shorts now Buck-o. I then mentally celebrated as I preceded to go about my daily activities.

30 min later - I hear Soren desperately beckon me. "Mom you need to come up stairs." These can be false alarms. "Why Soren?" I asked. "Cuz Xander is going to cut his pants." OH MY GOSH! I leap the stairs in 3 bounding steps just in time to see Xander, with only underwear and a shirt on and with his pants nicely laid out on the floor with scissors over them ready to alter them into shorts. Needless to say the shorts are out again. Apparently I would rather have my son be cold then have to go shopping more then I already have to. So the new rule is - You can wear shorts only inside. This does not seem to be a problem as he enjoys changing his clothes and this just gives him more reason to. Dang that boy is good. Scary good.