Birthday Fun and Cigarettes

NOTE: The 1st grader will be moving on to 2nd grade and turning eight next month, therefore he will now be known simply as the "8 yr old", and the others, Middle Child will go by "4yr old", and Toddler "2 yr old".....

This morning I sat down with the 7 yr old and helped him plan his 8th birthday.  We discussed making it a family party, a slumber party, a chuckie cheese party, etc.  We don't have parties very often, but 8 is a big year for our family so we feel the need to celebrate it in a BIG way.  He loves the idea of people coming to his party and bringing gifts and singing to him while he blows out the candles.  He is beside himself with excitement!  While planning the party and the activities we would do, he made a recommendation,  "you know mom, if anyone comes and forgets to bring a present, we can take them to the store so they can buy one." In his almost 8 yr old mind this was a very logical explanation just in case anyone forgot to bring a gift in his honor.  I tried to suppress the smile and told him we probably wouldn't be doing that.  He looked at me confused and responded simply with concern on his face, "oh mom, don't worry, I'll stay home so it will still be a surprise. You can go with them and just show them what I like."   The sweet innocence of my children moves me to great smiles on a daily basis.

In our home we try and teach health and wellness (when we aren't feeding them burgers and fries and cherry soda).  A big one in our home is that smoking is bad for you.  In my little children's minds (the 4 and 2 yr olds) cigarettes and alcohol are just about as bad as it gets and therefore if they see someone with them they are immediately a "bad guy".  In children's minds things are either black or white.  It is either good or bad.  We try to explain that good people can make bad decisions.  We all do.  But no matter how many times i explain that everyone who smokes isn't bad, the concept has yet to sink in.  Let me explain:

My boys LOVE to wrestle, as a matter of fact, they are doing it now at my feet while i type.  There is nothing else they would rather do then roll around on the beds and floor and backyard and scrap to their hearts content.  Recently I have noticed a regular phrase the 4 yr old likes to use while trying to take out his big brother (that is twice his size)

4yr old: "I've got you now bad guy.  you have cigarettes don't you? (while he tries to put his big bro in a headlock)"

--his face is beat red and the seriousness it like no other. the 7 yr old finds this to be hilarious and begins to laugh so hard that it enrages the 4 yr old even more.--

so he continues....

4yr old: "where are they? where are the cigarettes??... Oh, so you aren't going to talk and just laugh?  I'll bet they are in your car aren't they?? .... (more laughs from the 7 yr old)... yea, that's what i thought bad guy!"

My boys love each other so much.  Their sweet innocence is so fun AND funny to watch.  If only this simple way of thinking was always so.