Bean Bowl

This year, we've started a new Easter tradition that we have named "Bean Bowl." On our table we have a container of dried beans and, next to it, a large ceramic bowl. Good deeds or small kindnesses can earn you a bean and, come Easter, the Easter Bunny will be exchanging these dried bean for jelly beans! (Jelly Belly jelly beans, it has been specified) Cameron has found the bean bowl to be quite motivational and each time we find him doing something nice we shout "BEAN BOWL!" and he runs to the bowl with great gusto.

So, for the past few days I have been sick. A sick mother requires extraordinary patience from a 4-year-old and Cameron has been great. He has earned many a bean as a result of my illness. Today, he noted that Matthew needed a diaper change. Having seen his technique, I know that diaper changes are one task I will not hand over to Cameron, no matter how sick I am. But I thought I'd have a little fun with it.

"Would you change Matthew's diaper for a bean?" I said. "NOOOO!!!" he replied. "Five beans?" "NOOOO!!!" "Ten beans?" "Nooo!" "A hundred beans?" "No." "A thousand beans?" long pause "No." "A MILLION beans?" long pause, Cameron puts head in hands and sighs with despair "No," he says in a small voice. Some things aren't even worth a million Jelly Bellys.