A Little Respect

I have a paper flower in my car that resides in a compartment under my visor. Porter made it for me a couple of years ago during a trip to the Children's Museum of Phoenix. He wanted me to keep it in my car, and there it has been ever since. He'll occasionally remind me that he made it for me at the museum and ask me if I still like it.

Yesterday I flipped down my visor for a moment and he saw the flower. "Mommy, why is the flower all smashed up?"

"Well, Po, since it's under my visor, it gets smashed, so it's more like a pressed flower. It's still beautiful, and every time I see it I think of you."

He thought for a moment and declared, "next time we go to the museum, I am going to make you another flower. You need to make sure it doesn't get smashed. I really want you to respect the flower, Mommy. You need to work on having some respect."

Why is it that almost every time he sasses me he's too damn smart to punish? This is my parenting downfall with him.