Green Jelly Beans & Dust Bunnies: Trying to Raise Great 'Wait' Kids in a Crazy 'Now' World

It was their dad's birthday this weekend. There would be cake after the Saturday vigil and the Sunday late morning Divine Liturgies. We have been in the thick of Easter celebrations, so sugary treats have been in abundance. 

Saturday morning, I decided to sweep under the sofa in the living room. To be honest, moving the sofa forward and doing a deep sweep probably happens every two weeks. I guess this time, I let it go three weeks. 

There was some monstrous dust bunnies, random trash, some Lego I saved and two old Easter jelly beans. I was very clear with my boy that he could not pick up the jelly beans. I reminded him that he doesn't eat trash. I reminded him that he would be eating cake in just a few hours. 

I turned away to pick up the dust pan. Looking at the trash pile, I could see that there were still two jelly beans on the floor, but Boy's lips were turning a horrid shade of green. He had spied a third bean that had rolled out of sight. What an industrious, naughty boy! I had to lay down the law; I told him he would not be eating any birthday cake that evening, but he had better be singing for his daddy's birthday- cake or not.

Daddy was more merciful than I. He amended the punishment by allowing Boy to eat some cake the next morning after his breakfast egg. It was not easy for Boy to sit there with a (extraordinarily delicious) fresh fruit salad while his friends were eating chocolate cake.  In the morning, he got his cake with some whipped cream. I asked him if it tasted better than a dusty jelly bean. He admitted it did.