February 18, 2004 - Wednesday
Last week on Wednesday, Harry got a sticker from the office at his school. It's something that he does quite frequently and I usually don't mind, except maybe when we're a little late going to get Jeremy or when they pile up in the car. Those times I try to hurry him along or talk to him about already having stickers. I'm sure that sometimes that can take something of a negative tone, but I really don't think I've ever really actively discouraged him getting his stickers, even if I try to suggest that it is sometimes impolite to go into the office and take things without asking.

In the car, after getting a sticker, Harry had some trouble peeling the back off his new sticker and asked me for help in a whining voice. Since I was driving I told him he'd have to wait and that, not surprisingly, made him frustrated. Ultimately, he got the sticker off the back, but it ripped.
"It's ripped." he complained.
"I'm sorry, Harry, there's nothing we can do about that."
"I need another sticker."
"I don't have another sticker."
"We need to go get another one."
"We can't go get another one now. We have to go get Jeremy."

Harry's a smart boy and this logic is not lost on him. And, aside from that little frustration, he understood the situation. He would not get another sticker today. I tried to suggest maybe he'd have another sticker some other day. But, he declared not.

"No, this is my last sticker day."

Sure it is, I thought. He's just mad. So, the next day walking by the office on the way out of the school, I ask if he wanted a sticker.

"No, that was my last sticker day." He said the same on Friday.

After the long holiday weekend, yesterday he apparently forgot his decree and went to get a sticker. So I joked, "I thought last week was your last sticker day." At that moment I could see him remember his apparent commitment.
"I'm just going to get one more sticker for Jeremy," he said, rationalizing his actions.

Today, he did not get a sticker. He was sure he was done. That was his "last sticker day."



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