Pookie has a habit of falling back on a few old standby complaints.  He makes them whenever anything bothers him.   For example, when he is upset he usually says he wants to go for a ride in the car.  Then we say no, and then he yells.  Its important for him to ask for something he knows that we will not give, that way he is justified in yelling…according to his logic.   He also uses this one when he is confused about what he really wants, it comes out easy and he says it alot, so its his instinctive response.  Yes, he does like to go places.  But 95% of the time when he says that, he is using it as an excuse, something to say because it comes out easy.

Today everything was going well.  BAGD and I were upstairs in Giggles’ room discussing the importance of ceiling fans, when we heard Pookie yell and then the front door open.   Now, he never really goes out the front door.  We usually have it chained, and even if we did not, he will just open it and stand there, baiting us into telling him no.  We did not say anything; we usually ignore it when he hangs out the front door threatening to run away.  He yells again.  BAGD asks him what he wants.  He says he wants to go for a ride in the car.

BAGD :  No, that is not what you really want.  What do you really want?

Pookie:  To go for a ride in the car. (YELL YELL YELL)

BAGD :  NO, that’s not true.  Why are you yelling?

Pookie:  (pause) I bump my ear.

BAGD:  You bumped your ear?  Come here, let me look at it.

Pookie sprints up the stairs, whimpering,  holding his ear, sees me sitting in Giggles’ rocking chair and dives into my lap.

Hitting your ear really hurts.   Don’t you agree?  Hurts so much that you might not know what do say or do when it happens.  We are proud of Pookie for figuring it out; even if it took a few tries.