Any one know a good belly button surgeon?

People are creatures of habit, and children are no exception. Some kids suck their thumbs, some kids pick their noses, any even before he turned one Kyle has played with his belly button (or as Emily calls it, his booly). When he was younger he used to only do it when he was falling asleep, or just waking up. We would be holding him, or carrying him to bed and he would tuck his little arms between our bodies and rub his booly. Travis used to make him stop, saying that if Kyle continued to play with his belly button that we would end up with (gasp) an outie, (giggle), but I thought it was an endearing habit and was content to let him play as he might. As he got older, the habit stayed with him but over the past year or so you will find him absently minded rubbing his tummy and for lack of a better description he has developed a little bit of a callous over his booly.

Kyle picks when he is watching t.v., when he laying in bed, when he is standing in line, when he is waiting his turn to kick the soccer ball, when he is watching Emily open her birthday presents

Let's just say he pretty much has he has just become a compulsive booly picker. The booly picking has become so compulsive in fact, that I have decided that perhaps Travis is right, and this isn't a cute little habit that I can just ignore. Not that I am afraid of him having an outie belly button, mind you, but more out of fear that he will develop something akin to that weird looking cauliflower ear that many wrestlers develop. Not that I have ever heard of cauliflower booly, but there's always a first time.

My first line of attack at Operation End Booly Picking was a huge fail. Who knew that the repetitious nag of "stop picking your belly, Kyle" would be so ineffective?

My next attempt? The age old parent trick - threatening bodily harm. First I covered up the temptation with a huge Bandid....

and then I told Kyle that if he didn't stop picking his booly that I would have to take him to the Doctor who would probably decide to cut his booly off.....

The result? Kyle immediately teared up, crying "but then I won't have a tummy any more!" It was one of those situations that made me want to laugh and repent all at the same time, but I stuck my ground and stuck to my story.

The end result?

Kyle still picks his booly, but I haven't had the heart to make that booly removal appointment yet.