The Race

Teddy and Jackson have been trash-talking with each other about who would win in a footrace. Both boys are fairly athletic, Teddy has 2 years and 4 months on Jack and is bigger and stronger... but Jackson is fast. They haven't raced in a couple of years and Teddy has always won before but between you and me the smart money is on Jackson winning now (and Jack knows it and Teddy suspects it).

Jack finally got Ted to agree to the race and it was scheduled for after dinner tonight. I suspect that if Jack is winning Teddy will quit racing and if Ted is winning Jack will quit racing so they can say the other didn't beat them. So we have a big dinner conversation about that particular topic and both boys agree (Teddy somewhat sheepishly) that they will in fact make it a fair race and give it all they've got until the end. I got Teddy alone and talked again about the very real possiblilty that his younger brother might beat him and made sure he was prepared for that - he said he was and that in fact he thought Jack was going to win, but he'd give it his best shot.

Finally it's time. They decide to race on the wet grass from the sidewalk, around a tree, down the hill, around the swing set, back up the hill, back around the tree and the first person to touch Mommy wins. It's a fair start and Jack has Ted by 3 steps at the tree and is pulling away down the hill until he slips and totally wipes out around the swing set. Teddy passes him but Jack pops back up and digs in to catch up. Jackson made a valiant effort and closed the gap to maybe 10 feet as they rounded the tree and headed towards me.

As soon as Jackson fell, I planned on a rematch (unless Jackson somehow managed to catch back up) because I think it'll be good for Teddy to be beaten by his brother. But what does Jackson do when he decides he's not going to make up the difference. He was only a couple of feet behind Ted with maybe 15 feet to go and he ... guess... this is Jackson I'm talking about... yes you guessed it... he clutched his stomach and started to cry. "IT'S NOT FAIR" he wailed. What's not fair you wonder? Is it that Teddy won when he had so thoroughly wiped out? That's what I expected him to say. Even I was fooled. I thought he'd at least be sane. Nope. "IT'S NOT FAIR, BECAUSE I'M ABOUT TO THROW UP."

Me: OH MY GOD!! YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME.

He's crying his eyes out and the horror that is his life and he runs inside to the bathroom. Brad and Ted calmly discuss a redo because they want a fair race; start to finish where the running determines the winner and not the wet grass.

Me: NO WAY IN HELL!!! I WILL NOT ALLOW THAT WHINY LITTLE BOY TO GET A REDO TODAY IF THAT'S HIS REACTION. (yet another great mom moment)

Eventually Jack came out and I told him to go and bring his bike inside.... but did he come right back inside... uh, nope. He did not.

I went out to get him and I explained to him out unacceptable and unsportsmanlike his end of race actions were. I told him how we would have of course re-run the race for the reasons mentioned above but he had to make up that his stomach hurt. Man was he pissed off at me. He stormed into the garage and threw his bike into the corner and prepared to storm out again.

Jack: I'M GOING TO JAKE'S (it was about 8pm on a school night - uh.. not so much)

Me: Get your little butt inside. (He slams the bike again) And up to your room.

He storms in, throws his shoes across the room and storms up the stairs stomping the whole way until he gets to his door which he soundly slams.

Aaaaaah, but now it's blessedly quiet.

There's still no official winner, but it's calm once again our home.

Camela