Contracts

You'd think that maybe Coleman had aspirations to be a lawyer or something.

Unless lawyers get to write novels about or illustrate events from their cases, I kind of doubt it, but I had to draw attention to the rising number of Contracts that have surfaced in our house lately.

The first one showed up at my door, labeled just so . . .

After we had taken Calvin in to the doctor because of that runny nose that hasn't gone away for the two years since we've had the dog and the doctor told us that we should get rid of our little furry friend, I found this Contract of Refusal.

In it, Coleman lays out his refusal to get rid of Hobbsie as he is the "Eldest Child" and should have a "big say" in what goes on.

Somehow, the promise to take care of the dog more was never fully realized, probably because I was in breach of contract by not "having another baby." Oh, well. But after he and Cy signed the contract, I just didn't have the heart to get rid of our furry baby, either. The runny nose still flows.

And then the other day, I found another contract in Coleman's work from school.

It is a Writing Contract he has made with himself. He promises not to start his future "New York Times Best Seller, The Clearing" book over again (as he has done three times!). He is so intent on this that if he breaks his contract, he says he will have to "spend all his money on stupid, cheap stuff for Calvin and Cy."

Now, if that isn't pressure to keep a contract I don't know what is.

I think perhaps that Coleman is really just getting ready for the contract he hopes to sign one day with a publishing company, and then with a recording company. He currently holds a Diamond Album for his rendition of Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On" on our American Idol game.

Our heart goes on for you, Coleman, too! But we don't need to sign a contract to prove it.