Praise or punishment

Cameron, in a fit of rage over a bowl of dry cereal (which he requested for lunch) vs. a peanut butter and jelly (which his brother Nathan requested for lunch) ended with his bowl full of honey bunches of oats aka honey and a whole bunch of small tiny little flakey pieces of oats that couldn't possibly be picked up with even the smallest pincer grasp, all over the floor.   
I told Cameron to clean it up.   He sat under the table and cried.  He put a couple of handfuls in the bowl.   I told him to get the vaccum cleaner and get it all up.     He cried harder.

Spencer jumped up, went down the hall and got the vaccuum, brought it to the kitchen, unraveled the cord and plugged it in.    At which point I was trying to decide if making Cameron clean up his own mess....the kid who NEVER cleans up after himself....Who when told to clean lets his siblings (including the babies) clean while he gets lost playing with whatever it was that he picked up to put away.   He is TERRIBLE.
Or, do I let Spencer do a kind deed.   He was serving his brother and trying to make him feel better.
What to do ?  What to do ?   Follow through with my original request letting Cameron know that I don't mess around and give in or let Spencer be a hero and set a good example of brotherly love and compassion and be praised for it.

It was a tough decision.  but in the end I let Spencer vaccuum because although the sweet gesture only slightly pursuaded me....it was the fight I would ultimately have with Cam following through that would have been super exhausting, that broke the tie.  :)
Hey.   When you see a window of opportunity.....don't pass that shit up.

and as you can see....Cam did use the tube thing to play clean.

OH and I just remembered.    Spencer also wanted a PB&J and was ALSO told that he had to finish his cereal that he too requested before getting one.   He ate it and was ready for a sandwhich.   I made him one.    Cameron who was super hungry, who's lunch had been sucked up and thrown away...was crying for a sandwhich.   I told him that I wouldn't make him a sandwhich unless he ate his cereal first and he chose to throw it on the floor.    
I did then say, "if Spencer wants to share his sandwhich with you Cam....that's up to him." 
and Spencer did.
And then I gave them both graham crackers, milk and a movie for quiet time/nap time....because I'm not a monster.

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