I’m Gonna Be Mean

For some time now, Aaron’s desk chair hasn’t worked correctly.  To be specific, the pneumatic feature no longer operates.  That’s because Aaron doesn’t usually just sit down softly in a chair.  He drops.  And when someone of his size drops into a chair, even the best pneumatic feature will eventually cease to be a feature and will become an operation of the past.  Now Aaron’s desk chair sits rather low, permanently stuck where Aaron’s dropping into it left it………tired and refusing to cooperate with Aaron ever again.

Aaron immediately wanted a new chair, but we decided to teach him a lesson and allow him to sit lowly in his chair for awhile.  It’s actually been a long time that  he’s endured this rather low position.  In the meantime, Gary found out that there would be an auction at FlightSafety, where he works………….an auction of office furniture and so forth.  Gary told Aaron that on the day of the auction, he would bid on an office chair for Aaron.  It would be a nice office chair, but Aaron was going to have to wait for it.

Aaron rarely waits in silence.  Therefore, almost daily he has asked his dad about the auction.  Was the auction today?  It wasn’t?  Then when will the auction be held?  Are you still going to get me a chair?  Why wasn’t the auction held yet?  Will you tell me when the auction happens?  When will it happen?  Was it today?    You get the idea.   Many, many questions.  Many, many comments.   For many, many days.

One day Aaron asked me, “Mom, when is Dad going to be betting on the chair?”

Aaron, Dad won’t be betting on the chair.  It’s called bidding………….it’s an auction…………where you bid…………not where you bet.

“So when will Dad bet on the chair?”

Never mind.  And are you telling everyone that your Dad is betting on a chair?  Do I need to clarify some issues with your staff and friends at Paradigm?

Yesterday Gary came home from work and gave Aaron the good news.  The auction was held and Gary did indeed bid on the coveted chair.  He will hopefully bring the chair home on Monday.  Of course, Aaron is very happy to hear that on Monday he will have a new (new to him) chair.  Poor chair.  But we have instructed and instructed Aaron about how to sit in the chair.  How to sit and not drop.  We’ll see how this goes.  And it is not a pneumatic chair, but one that spins in order to be lowered…………or highered, as Aaron says.  I may someday have a spinning story to tell, knowing our Aaron.  I’m sure that the instruction time will be very fascinating.  

This morning Gary and I were working out in the front yard, and Aaron was sitting in the mulch doing his relaxing in the mulch thing.  Sometimes we sound so odd………..like the Adams family.  Anyway, Aaron has continued to talk about the chair in order to confirm that Gary did bid on the chair and that the chair would be his.  We expect this constant conversation until Aaron is actually in possession of the chair, but still it gets a little old.  Chair talk………..over and over again.   While busy in the mulch, Aaron said, “So Dad, will you bring the chair home?”  And Gary said, in a teasing way, “No, Aaron.  I think I’ll just leave it at work.”

Aaron doesn’t appreciate sarcasm like you and I might.  Aaron lowered his voice and said for only me to hear, “If he keeps talking like that to me, then I’m gonna be mean.”  It was just too funny.  We’ve praised Aaron for how pleasant and nice he’s been this week, for the most part, so this threat to be mean was the best way he could think of at the moment to get back at Dad for his sarcasm.   Gary heard the conversation and we burst out laughing while we watched for Aaron’s reaction………….and there was none, of course.  Aaron had made his point and we were, in his mind, to be forewarned if we did not straighten up our attitudes.  Never mind his.

Aaron has since asked Gary again about the chair.  I should keep count of the number of times we have this chair conversation this weekend.  It makes me want to grab a trash can and go sit in the mulch!  I think Gary  might join me.