I married a genius

While I READILY admit Brooks was a genius for marrying me, this is NOT what this post is about.

This post is about strategic parenting...or sneaky and gaining parents?

Anyway, on a Black Friday deal I bought Camden a phone to give to him on Christmas. Brooks was NOT a huge fan of the idea before, but we still decided to do it in the end.

Camden, who thought he wouldn't get a phone until a LONG time in the future was always making comments about how he REALLY wants a phone and if we would buy him one. Those comments made me inwardly chuckle now since I HAD his phone hidden in my room. 

One day one of the elementary kids came home with cursive homework. Camden went off how useless that was and how he never learned cursive. Brooks told him that EVERYONE should learn how to write in cursive. Then Camden said, "Okay Dad, if I learn to write in cursive will you get me a phone." When Brooks hesitated, I saw Camden's face light up.

Brooks answered, "Okay, I will give you until the first of the year, to write perfect cursive. You have to write a letter to your mother on how much you love her and are grateful completely in perfect cursive." 

Every day after school he would practice and practice on the table.

The funny thing is we were going to GIVE him a phone anyway. This way we got a few things out of it. A kid who can write in cursive (and work towards something) and a thankful note to a mom.

See? Genius husband.

Another one of his genius ideas came in December too. I told him about a few families I knew who wouldn't write the names of the kids on their Christmas presents so the kids wouldn't know who's is whose until Christmas morning. One friend used reindeer names and some used made up names.

I told him that was a fun idea and he said, "Yes it is, but let's use body parts instead."

Brooks is ALWAYS up for giving an anatomy lesson. So while we were going to give them the presents anyway, my kids now know what a latissimis dorsi is, for example.

I couldn't stop laughing in the kitchen when one of the younger kids said, "Who's Fallopian tube?"

BWHAHAHA.

(it was Bronson, by-the-way)