Drop off redux

This morning we had a two hour snow delay for school.  We got about 4 inches of wet snow. In New England this would be a joke, but here it's not. And honestly, I was slipping all over the road.  Of course, the boys had insisted we take the back way, so maybe that was it.  Or maybe it was that we were playing "On the road again" at full volume and singing along. Who knows.  

But on days like this, it's extra, above normal, a little more challenging to get both of them into school, their coats off, their "indoor shoes" on, and kissed and into their classroom.  To be fair, it's always challenging.   But on days like today it's just a bit "more". Here is a normal example in the hall way:

Me:  K & O, get your coats off, boots off, and in-door shoes on please [note that they are in different classrooms and down the hall from one another - adding to the fun]

O (acting like a monkey):  hooo hoooo ha ha ha ha (while toddling off like a penguin). 

Then he disappears into some other classroom.  I go and pick him up and his legs and he sticks his legs and arms out and says "Look!  I'm and 'X'!"  His body in the shape of an X, while I walk down the crowded hall with people laughing.  Fortunately that was pretty funny - although when this kind of thing happens 10 times before you leave and every day you drop off, it does get a little tiring.

However, recently Kyle has been pushing that he wants to be dropped off at the front door of the school "like the big kids".  Owen is right there with him on this one. They are really into it.

So, I have been using this as an incentive to help them get ready and into their classrooms. If they do a good job consistently, then they will be able to be dropped off and I will park and come in to check on them. In typical driven Kyle fashion, he is singularly focused on doing it.  To the extent that he won't even let me help with his shoes, even when the tongues get stuck down into the toes of the shoes and he can barely put them on.

Owen does not remember as well what the stakes are.  So, today I reminded him while he was acting like a monkey.  And this is what transpired:

Me:  O - please get yourself ready now and go into class.  And remember, if you want to be dropped off like the big kids you need to do a good job.  

I go on to help Kyle a bit and return.  Owen is sitting doing an excellent job getting ready.  I sit down next to him.  He climbs into my lap and with just a little twinkle in his eye says:

O:  "Papi, my sillies are broken today."  and then sprightly:

O: "Ok, Bye!"  and hops down and runs into his class.