PhotoShoot Sunday 6April08

We've had a ton of fun this week. Between water parks and hotels and eating out, road trips with candy, movies and side trips to small Indiana towns, it's been a good week to be Alison Reed, Hannah and Alex Ogden. And not so bad for Karin and me, either. Sadly, Jeff and Dale had to work for most of it, but they've had their share of fun as well, I'm sure. Some, we'll never know about...

Back when I was a kid, I spent a lot of time with my cousin, Lori, and summers with cousins Christina and Beth when they came for summer breaks. While we'd have great fun for days on end, there would always come the conversation between my mom, Aunt Shirley or one of my Grandmas: "I think the girls are getting a little tired of each other. Maybe we should separate them for a while."

So I'd get the boot and go back home for a few hours or a day and then it was back at it at either my house or one of the Grandmas.

Karin and I hit that point with Alison and Hannah on Saturday afternoon. During our road trip, we'd declared it Solve Your Own Problem Day in an attempt to get the "Mo-oms!" down to single digits per minute. The object was to let the kids work out their traumas over who got which pillow, who got to decide what snack, who would sit where and just who was the boss of whom. It resulted in multiple exclamations of "What day is it today?" and "SYOP, baby!"

On the way back home, while trying to ignore the backseat bickering, Karin and I had talked about how funny it was to hear Alison and Hannah going back and forth at each other. "They're both used to being in charge, and they like to be in charge. Alex? He's never in charge of anything, so he just goes along."

On Saturday, I'd gone to magically remove a few gray hairs and the kids were at the Ogdens. I had them that evening while Dale and Karin went out and Jeff was still hanging with his fantasy baseball boys. Dale and Karin pulled up and the banshees tumbled out.

I can't remember exactly how she put it, but Karin warned me (with Dale shaking his head in agreement) that I might have a bit extra on my hands. Seems Hannah and Alison were getting a little tired of each other...

It turned out to be fine. I left them largely to their own devices after dinner, and they seemed to have a good time. This morning, they'd gotten their own breakfast, cleaned up after a fashion, and were playing a Littlest Pet Shop video game when I came down to check on them. Hannah hadn't been able to spend the night. Alex and Ali were having a grand time on their own, taking turns and deciding how to spend their virtual dollars on the game.

I'm happy to report that little Alex found a way around Alison's 24/7 Alpha Female routine.
Some could say that he caved in again, but I contend that he did so only after making his point.

"Let's buy a gecko!"
"No, I don't want a gecko. Let's buy a skunk."
"No, I want a gecko!"
"No, Alex. We're buying a skunk."
"No! I want a gecko!"
"Don't make me unplug it, Alex!"
"You unplug it, I'll tell your Mom."
Silence.........
"Please, Alex? I really don't want another gecko. Please? Please?"
"Oh, alright. But I get to choose the next one."
"OK."