Dane’s out signing Owen up for the library’s summer reading program, so the girls and I are having quiet play time (read: Mommy on computer time). Abigail signed up yesterday, then read and reported on her first book before we left the library. “What was the impediment to signing Owen up?” Dane asked after work. The impediment was (can you guess?) me! I somehow let it slip that he isn’t quite three yet (summer birthday—sorry, kid!). They didn’t even ask, I just told them. I don’t know why. So then the sweet little girl (they have preteens doing the sign-ups) told me to come back after his birthday. And I didn’t think of bullying her into giving me a sign-up packet.

Owen was cool with this at the time—“I’ll come back! After my birthday! When I’m three! And sign up!” (imagine him saying each bit while jumping in place while Abigail’s trying to talk to the sign-up girl). Except! Except! After Abigail reported about her book, she got to choose a prize, of course. She took home a bendable kitty (think Gumby, but tabby-striped). AND WE HAVE NOT HAD A MOMENT OF PEACE SINCE. “Is it my turn for the kitty? I want Abigail’s kitty. Can I have the kitty? My kitty please? Please? Please? PLEASE?” Accompanied by many, many tears. Even though we made Abigail instantly put the kitty in her secret-special-toys-she-can’t-share box out of sight. Even though the none of the rest of us have mentioned the kitty once. Even after we explained about it: “Owen, the kitty has gone nigh-night!” “Okay, but can I play with it NOW?”

You might think that enforced sharing would be the way to go with this one, but you would be wrong. So! The boys are off to the library to get a darned kitty if it’s the last thing they do. I am secretly terrified that Owen will sign up, report about a book, and then choose a prize other than the kitty (they did have attractive Frisbees and ever-popular water bottles). And then both kids will be miserable, because they will each want what the other kid has, and also not want to share what they have, and there will be (at least) double the tears until I get them both back to the library. Which won’t be until Tuesday at the earliest, but probably more like Wednesday. Hmm, but maybe I can get Dane to take them after work on Monday! Maybe! And I could stay here and take a nap! Though of course I won’t, I’ll be very productive while they’re gone (really, honey, I will!).

Update: The library was out of bendable kitties! How could they let such a thing happen? BUT! They had one bendable PUPPY left! And Owen got it! And now he’s playing with it by putting it in Daddy’s shirt pocket and giving it “high five!” (read: smacking Daddy in the chest repeatedly!) And Owen says his puppy “Is a toy! It can not eat sandwiches! But it CAN get messy!” And he thinks he can share it with Abigail! And everyone seems terribly pleased, except Dane, who says he’s never going back to the library because trying to get Owen to talk to a stranger about a book was NOT the highlight of his day.