Lazy Parenting Works

I started to chase the chickens off of the porch, for reasons we all now know, when Max and Calvin volunteered to do it for me. Never one to do for myself what my kids can do for me, I happily sent them out the door. Five minutes later, I hadn't heard from them. I went outside, looked around, then hollered. The response informed me that they were playing with our adorable batch of Coonhound puppies, who are housed in the back 40 behind the shed. A verbal, "Are you OK?" check, two affirmative answers, and I was back to the air conditioning.

This process continued for almost an hour. I hollered out every five minutes or so, got a slightly annoyed answer, then we all went about our business. But I didn't want to mess up the "askident" free day Max had been having, so one time I hollered out, "Max!? Do you have to go potty?" Of course  he said he didn't (why do I even ask?). I made a mental note that on the next check I was gonna have to hike my butt up the hill and tell him it was time, because that's the only way he goes without (usually) pitching a fit. Before time was up, Calvin came running excitedly into the house,  "Max peed!" he exclaimed. Crap, I thought, until I realized Calvin was coming in to get Smarties for the little potty engineer. "He peed STANDING UP! I showed him how!" Be still, my heart. We've been trying to get this boy to stand up since we started potty training, and have been largely unsuccessful. He rarely makes a tinkle without his knees bent. But in the next hour, one or both boys trekked inside for two more rounds of Smarties. I think big brother peer pressure did the trick!
 

After our latest photos of Calvin, I'm a little nervous to see how Kindergarten pictures turned out!