Suck it up Buttercup!

Dear Caden,

Boys are rough. They take lots of tumbles and get lots of scraped knees, it's just going to happen. As you have grown older, anytime you would fall, we would tell you that, "You're ok!" and just get you back up on your feet without making a big fuss. So much so that, later if you fell you would just holler back, "I ok!" and carry on with whatever you were doing. We are trying to raise a tough boy.

Ever since you started at school we have noticed that when you fall you will start wailing as if somebody ate your last cookie. Terrible, awful crying with crocodile tears to fill the Nile. My tough boy is becoming a softie. To try and get you back to where you were, anytime you fall / bump / walk into/ touch / breathe/ or look at something that makes you start crying from "pain", I will help you up and say, "You're ok! Suck it up buttercup!" Several kisses later to ensure you aren't truly injured and a hug, you typically just skip away until the next trauma - approximately 3 minutes later depending on your state of tiredness. Then we have less than a minute.

This morning while getting ready for work I stubbed my toe on the bathroom counter. It bent my toenail back and I saw stars. Heck, I saw planets and asteroids and black holes. You, being ever so thoughtful, start patting my back and tell me, "Awww, you're ok! Suck it up buttercup!" You plant a wet kiss on my leg and hop off. Fighting through the pain I call out after you, "You forgot my hug ladybug!" to which you reply, "After awhile crocodile!" Maybe being a softie isn't so bad after all.

Love,
Mommy