OUCH!!!!
When you have kids, no one warns you how many times a day your feet are going to get trampled, run over, or stepped on in warmer weather. This morning my son dropped something on my friend's foot and I told her I had been meaning to write a small post about the constant foot damage Mothers experience at the hands of their youngsters. She wisely pointed out that the thing that makes it so hard to deal with, is that it always takes you by surprise. You can try and protect yourself, but they are still going to get you.
That pretty manicure you managed to arrange? It may not even last an hour once you've returned home. There's just nothing we can do about it other than wear full coverage foot wear all day long. And when it's 102 degrees outside, that ain't happening.
I will give the kids a bit of a break and admit that it's not always their fault. Yesterday I managed to knock a fork off our kitchen counter and have it land, spokes down, on my foot. One spoke actually managed to break the skin and leave me with a red and bruised dot.
Anyway, just had to get that out of my system. Happy weekend to everyone!
Friday, June 10, 2011
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Vegas and Other Stories
There's been a lot going down around here lately. Just wanted to share a few updates to keep everyone in the loop.
I don't usually advertise on the Internet when my husband is out of town, but last Thursday he took off for Las Vegas. It was not a business trip, so it was a unique situation. In the 4.5 years since the babe was born, my husband has rarely left our side, unless it was required for work. To celebrate turning 40, my husband (who I should give a blogging nickname to) and a group of his best friends from high school decided to live it up in Vegas for 4 days. He had my blessings and I really wanted him to have an awesome time.
That all said, I had forgotten what it can be like to be on my own with 2 kids for that long, especially when there is no school on the weekend to provide a bit of relief. There were many highs and lows, and we survived the experience, including yet another power outage at an inconvenient time (is it ever convenient to lose your power?). Needless to say, I was pretty psyched when he came back safe and sound. The pressure of being solely responsible for 2 little lives was a tad much for me....combined with the standard lack of sleep. But all in all, I am glad he went, because that man deserved a break from the madness.
On Tuesday the babe turned 4.5 which is slightly mind boggling. I used to celebrate every month of my kids lives and take a picture of them with a sign indicating how old they were. I did take a lot of pictures of her on Tuesday, but she was holding a chocolate cupcake with a candle and a big grin on her face instead of a sign. It is amazing how a cupcake and a candle can make everything seem so special.
Earlier in the day I had attended my last preschoolers parenting class. I was extremely sad to see it end and will miss the 2 hours a week I used to spend learning about how to be a more patient and positive parent. While I am still trying to put all I know in theory into practice, I am sure that all the time invested in these classes will somehow pay off in little ways I can't even see. A few of us were weepy eyed at the end and it was really hard to say good bye to my amazing teachers and the lovely woman who watched the little guy while I was in class. In fact he loves her so much that instead of calling her "Miss.Mary," he calls her "Aunt Mary." I am not sure how long it will take him to realize that his regular Tuesday mornings with Aunt Mary have come to a close (they have been together every week since I started classes in February). Anyway, if anyone reading this in the DC area wants to learn more about this amazing parenting program (Parent Encouragement Program), you can check them out online at http://www.parentencouragement.org/.
I also hosted my book club on our deck on Tuesday evening. It was an awesome way to wrap up such a intense day. We discussed Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somaya Gowda. If you're looking for a good story that has a lot of motherhood and biracial family themes, this would be a solid pick. You may recall I blathered on about loving my home a few months back, and I have to say it felt so good to have all the ladies form my old Street come over to my new home and hang out as the sun set and the sky turned pink. The company and conversation were lovely.
Anyway, apologies for being all over the place. As much as this is a blog, I sometimes treat it like a journal. In the end, it will be a great document of our life, so some blather along the way is OK by me.
I don't usually advertise on the Internet when my husband is out of town, but last Thursday he took off for Las Vegas. It was not a business trip, so it was a unique situation. In the 4.5 years since the babe was born, my husband has rarely left our side, unless it was required for work. To celebrate turning 40, my husband (who I should give a blogging nickname to) and a group of his best friends from high school decided to live it up in Vegas for 4 days. He had my blessings and I really wanted him to have an awesome time.
That all said, I had forgotten what it can be like to be on my own with 2 kids for that long, especially when there is no school on the weekend to provide a bit of relief. There were many highs and lows, and we survived the experience, including yet another power outage at an inconvenient time (is it ever convenient to lose your power?). Needless to say, I was pretty psyched when he came back safe and sound. The pressure of being solely responsible for 2 little lives was a tad much for me....combined with the standard lack of sleep. But all in all, I am glad he went, because that man deserved a break from the madness.
On Tuesday the babe turned 4.5 which is slightly mind boggling. I used to celebrate every month of my kids lives and take a picture of them with a sign indicating how old they were. I did take a lot of pictures of her on Tuesday, but she was holding a chocolate cupcake with a candle and a big grin on her face instead of a sign. It is amazing how a cupcake and a candle can make everything seem so special.
Earlier in the day I had attended my last preschoolers parenting class. I was extremely sad to see it end and will miss the 2 hours a week I used to spend learning about how to be a more patient and positive parent. While I am still trying to put all I know in theory into practice, I am sure that all the time invested in these classes will somehow pay off in little ways I can't even see. A few of us were weepy eyed at the end and it was really hard to say good bye to my amazing teachers and the lovely woman who watched the little guy while I was in class. In fact he loves her so much that instead of calling her "Miss.Mary," he calls her "Aunt Mary." I am not sure how long it will take him to realize that his regular Tuesday mornings with Aunt Mary have come to a close (they have been together every week since I started classes in February). Anyway, if anyone reading this in the DC area wants to learn more about this amazing parenting program (Parent Encouragement Program), you can check them out online at http://www.parentencouragement.org/.
I also hosted my book club on our deck on Tuesday evening. It was an awesome way to wrap up such a intense day. We discussed Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somaya Gowda. If you're looking for a good story that has a lot of motherhood and biracial family themes, this would be a solid pick. You may recall I blathered on about loving my home a few months back, and I have to say it felt so good to have all the ladies form my old Street come over to my new home and hang out as the sun set and the sky turned pink. The company and conversation were lovely.
Anyway, apologies for being all over the place. As much as this is a blog, I sometimes treat it like a journal. In the end, it will be a great document of our life, so some blather along the way is OK by me.
Saturday, June 4, 2011
The Kind of Mom I Am
We woke this morning to a full on power outage. The little guy was standing at my door crying and I quickly realized it was going to be a long day. Saturdays are always long days, but this had an extra special "long day" feeling.
Realizing there was not going to be any snuggling in bed watching cartoons and dozing, we all headed downstairs for some cereal and fruit. The power was still not back by the time we finished breakfast. What next? We decided it would be fun to go to the park. So we all got dressed, packed our drinks and snacks, went to the front door to get our shoes, and BAM; the power came back on.
I immediately told everyone to take off their shoes and go sit in front of the TV. I got the kids set up with some quality programming, made a pot of coffee, cleaned the kitchen, started the dishwasher and stripped our bed to get the laundry going (I had found children's snot caked onto my duvet cover earlier in the morning).
So yes, it is super lame that I parked the kids in front of the TV just as we were about to go play, but I did redeem myself. After the show ended and I was up to speed on all my basic chores, we put those shoes back on and went to the park for an hour. And that was how we got through our Saturday morning. Let's see how the afternoon goes.
Realizing there was not going to be any snuggling in bed watching cartoons and dozing, we all headed downstairs for some cereal and fruit. The power was still not back by the time we finished breakfast. What next? We decided it would be fun to go to the park. So we all got dressed, packed our drinks and snacks, went to the front door to get our shoes, and BAM; the power came back on.
I immediately told everyone to take off their shoes and go sit in front of the TV. I got the kids set up with some quality programming, made a pot of coffee, cleaned the kitchen, started the dishwasher and stripped our bed to get the laundry going (I had found children's snot caked onto my duvet cover earlier in the morning).
So yes, it is super lame that I parked the kids in front of the TV just as we were about to go play, but I did redeem myself. After the show ended and I was up to speed on all my basic chores, we put those shoes back on and went to the park for an hour. And that was how we got through our Saturday morning. Let's see how the afternoon goes.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Crazy Heat
Today we got a break from the insane onslaught of excessive heat and humidity we've been experiencing here in DC. It was record breaking and suffocating and I am thrilled to report that it now seems to have moved on.
I think things tend to get a little crazy when it's severely hot outside. People just can't keep it together and all the basics are no longer so basic.
In the past 48 hours, I have seen a few of my newly planted flowers die (yes--from lack of water), brought both kids to the ER to have the little guy's eye area examined after a funky bug bite, and been hit by a car at a stop sign on the way to pick the babe up at yoga. All this, and the little guy got up at 5:30 am today. Needless to say I'd like to run off to the Bahamas now, alone.
Luckily I have a few other flowers which have survived, the car's bumper got a bit more banged up but no one was hurt, and the little guy was not diagnosed with cellulitis or any other funky infection thing.
The heat wave has subsided and hopefully our temporary state of chaos has come to an end.
Has anyone else out there been having a weird week?
I think things tend to get a little crazy when it's severely hot outside. People just can't keep it together and all the basics are no longer so basic.
In the past 48 hours, I have seen a few of my newly planted flowers die (yes--from lack of water), brought both kids to the ER to have the little guy's eye area examined after a funky bug bite, and been hit by a car at a stop sign on the way to pick the babe up at yoga. All this, and the little guy got up at 5:30 am today. Needless to say I'd like to run off to the Bahamas now, alone.
Luckily I have a few other flowers which have survived, the car's bumper got a bit more banged up but no one was hurt, and the little guy was not diagnosed with cellulitis or any other funky infection thing.
The heat wave has subsided and hopefully our temporary state of chaos has come to an end.
Has anyone else out there been having a weird week?
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
In the Garden
I'll admit it. I was being a slacker. I knew I wanted a veggie garden at our new house, I just didn't feel like digging one out and going through all the steps to make it happen. I kept putting it off and putting it off thinking that if I waited long enough, it may just magically happen.
Last Friday my husband passed a comment that it looked as though we weren't going to have a garden this year. My heart sunk. I didn't say anything, but I decided then and there I was going to make it happen.
After dropping the babe off at school, the little guy and I went to the garden center and stocked up on compost/soil stuff, some flowers for the empty pots on the deck, and some tomato, cucumber and potato plants. I felt like I was on a roll.
I got home and managed to get all the flowers planted in the pots, and dug out a patch of grass/soil to create a garden. When my husband got home that night, I was openly bragging about all the hard work I had done. The hard work actually turned out to be yesterday.
Despite the insane heat, the four of us spent a good chunk of the morning and the late afternoon working in our yard. We finished digging out the garden, added all the compost stuff, and planted all our veggies. We got rid of a bunch of ugly bushes beneath our dining room windows and in the process realized it would be the perfect place to throw in some more veggies, so why not have 2 gardens? Only time will tell if this approach was a tad overambitious.
The kids were helpful with the planting and watering steps, but not so helpful with the digging. No surprises there. They spent a majority of the time spraying each other silly with the garden hose (I realized we don't own a sprinkler!).
It felt good to work as a family and get so much done, together. I am excited we now have a garden to love, and that the kids will be eating more veggies this summer, because they helped make them. I'm also glad I got off my butt because having a family project will be good for all of us this summer.
Next step is to buy some more veggie plants for the second garden. Perhaps eggplant and peppers? I'll post some photos soon!
Last Friday my husband passed a comment that it looked as though we weren't going to have a garden this year. My heart sunk. I didn't say anything, but I decided then and there I was going to make it happen.
After dropping the babe off at school, the little guy and I went to the garden center and stocked up on compost/soil stuff, some flowers for the empty pots on the deck, and some tomato, cucumber and potato plants. I felt like I was on a roll.
I got home and managed to get all the flowers planted in the pots, and dug out a patch of grass/soil to create a garden. When my husband got home that night, I was openly bragging about all the hard work I had done. The hard work actually turned out to be yesterday.
Despite the insane heat, the four of us spent a good chunk of the morning and the late afternoon working in our yard. We finished digging out the garden, added all the compost stuff, and planted all our veggies. We got rid of a bunch of ugly bushes beneath our dining room windows and in the process realized it would be the perfect place to throw in some more veggies, so why not have 2 gardens? Only time will tell if this approach was a tad overambitious.
The kids were helpful with the planting and watering steps, but not so helpful with the digging. No surprises there. They spent a majority of the time spraying each other silly with the garden hose (I realized we don't own a sprinkler!).
It felt good to work as a family and get so much done, together. I am excited we now have a garden to love, and that the kids will be eating more veggies this summer, because they helped make them. I'm also glad I got off my butt because having a family project will be good for all of us this summer.
Next step is to buy some more veggie plants for the second garden. Perhaps eggplant and peppers? I'll post some photos soon!
A Helping Hand
I am all about getting my kids to help clean the house. They love being involved and I love the idea that they are learning skills that will help our home operate smoothly over the years to come.
Last week my son decided to take on a cleaning mission, solo. It was technically nap time, so his mission was supposed to be sleeping in his big boy bed. Sadly he wasn't so interested in the whole nap time scene. He was apparently more into the cleaning the bathroom scene.
I heard his little feet pitter patter over my head and realized he was in the wrong section of the house. Whenever I hear the kids in our room I tend to intervene quickly. I ran up the steps to find the little guy standing in the hallway saying, "water, water."
He led me down the hall to our bathroom where I found that he had been cleaning the walls and floors with the toilet brush, using the toilet bowl water as his "cleaning" fluid. I was pretty zonked out that day and had been hoping to get a few basic things done during "nap time." Cleaning toilet water off the walls and floors of the master bathroom had not been on my agenda.
While trying to hold it together, I walked him to the sink, washed his hands, and then walked him to his room, where I changed his clothes. I deposited him in bed, again, and called my husband to whine. After I pulled it together and got over my pity party, I cleaned up the toilet water and disinfected everything.
I probably should have gotten him involved in the clean up but was not in a head space where I could turn the situation into a "teachable" moment.
He never did take his nap, but I did learn to close our bathroom door at nap time.
Last week my son decided to take on a cleaning mission, solo. It was technically nap time, so his mission was supposed to be sleeping in his big boy bed. Sadly he wasn't so interested in the whole nap time scene. He was apparently more into the cleaning the bathroom scene.
I heard his little feet pitter patter over my head and realized he was in the wrong section of the house. Whenever I hear the kids in our room I tend to intervene quickly. I ran up the steps to find the little guy standing in the hallway saying, "water, water."
He led me down the hall to our bathroom where I found that he had been cleaning the walls and floors with the toilet brush, using the toilet bowl water as his "cleaning" fluid. I was pretty zonked out that day and had been hoping to get a few basic things done during "nap time." Cleaning toilet water off the walls and floors of the master bathroom had not been on my agenda.
While trying to hold it together, I walked him to the sink, washed his hands, and then walked him to his room, where I changed his clothes. I deposited him in bed, again, and called my husband to whine. After I pulled it together and got over my pity party, I cleaned up the toilet water and disinfected everything.
I probably should have gotten him involved in the clean up but was not in a head space where I could turn the situation into a "teachable" moment.
He never did take his nap, but I did learn to close our bathroom door at nap time.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
What the Heck?
It seems as though the little guy is a bit of a scaredy cat (don't tell him I said that). He is not a very deep sleeper and is still waking at night quite frequently. I think we are dealing with the aftermath of moving him from the crib into a big boy bed. Last night took the cake, though. We were up and down from about 2 to 4 am which was not very cool. Needless to say I am a complete space cadet today.
I wish the little guy could understand that there's no such thing as monsters, but I suppose it's one of those things in life you just have to learn for yourself. I talk to him, sing him songs, make sure his diaper is acceptable and tuck him in. Sadly, this scenario played out about 5 times last night. Both my husband and I were having flashbacks of the desperate feelings you can experience parenting a newborn through the long nights.
I know I could be tougher on him, but the kid is scared and I don't want him to feel abandoned when he really needs me. When he wakes up screaming, I want to comfort him. When he shows up beside my bed saying "Mama, I'm scared," I want to take his hand and help him confront his fears. But I also really, really want to sleep uninterrupted. I am hoping this is a phase that will quickly pass as he gets more comfortable in his big boy bed. How long can you believe in monsters, anyway?
In other news, the babe came up with some more "wise" words last night. I had them both in the bath for a hair washing fiesta and was hoping we could maintain a "fun" atmosphere. Things quickly deteriorated when the babe started screaming at me that I wasn't washing her hair "right." At one point she whipped out a "What the heck?" My husband and I stopped and looked at each other with slightly shocked and bemused faces and just rolled with it. Neither of us knew what to do and we were both too tired to think something up on the spot. Hopefully by not paying attention to it, we taught her she won't get more attention by using colorful language. Although I do think it may be helpful for my husband and I to prepare an action plan we can have ready to go the next time we hear something crazy come out of the babe's little mouth.
I wish the little guy could understand that there's no such thing as monsters, but I suppose it's one of those things in life you just have to learn for yourself. I talk to him, sing him songs, make sure his diaper is acceptable and tuck him in. Sadly, this scenario played out about 5 times last night. Both my husband and I were having flashbacks of the desperate feelings you can experience parenting a newborn through the long nights.
I know I could be tougher on him, but the kid is scared and I don't want him to feel abandoned when he really needs me. When he wakes up screaming, I want to comfort him. When he shows up beside my bed saying "Mama, I'm scared," I want to take his hand and help him confront his fears. But I also really, really want to sleep uninterrupted. I am hoping this is a phase that will quickly pass as he gets more comfortable in his big boy bed. How long can you believe in monsters, anyway?
In other news, the babe came up with some more "wise" words last night. I had them both in the bath for a hair washing fiesta and was hoping we could maintain a "fun" atmosphere. Things quickly deteriorated when the babe started screaming at me that I wasn't washing her hair "right." At one point she whipped out a "What the heck?" My husband and I stopped and looked at each other with slightly shocked and bemused faces and just rolled with it. Neither of us knew what to do and we were both too tired to think something up on the spot. Hopefully by not paying attention to it, we taught her she won't get more attention by using colorful language. Although I do think it may be helpful for my husband and I to prepare an action plan we can have ready to go the next time we hear something crazy come out of the babe's little mouth.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
More Words of Wisdom
We had a great weekend. We really, really did (don't look so surprised!). It was so nice to just enjoy being a family and have things go well. I'm not sure exactly how we accomplished the smooth sailing we all experienced, but I'd like to copy it, if I can figure out what the secret to our success actually was (having a full agenda, perhaps?).
On Sunday night we piled into the car and drove out to the Outback Steakhouse for a rare family restaurant meal. You may recall that this is about the only restaurant we go to with the kids because they handle the babe's food allergies so well. It's loud, family oriented and fast which makes it a perfect fit for us. Sunday was another reassuring reminder that we can actually dine in public like other "normal" families.
While all the little guy consumed was fries and orange juice, the babe was awesome and pretty much ate everything on her plate. She tried every vegetable and decided she wasn't going to eat the squash, which we said was fine. My husband and I complemented her on what a great job she did eating and she apologized that she didn't want to eat the squash. We told her that it's fine to not eat something if you've tried it.
Then she made her super wise comment: "You can't taste with your eyes!"
How true is that? The girl knows you cannot judge food without putting it in your mouth first! I feel like we took a huge step forward with that one comment and I left the restaurant feeling positive and empowered (and really, really full). Kids really can have the most insightful thoughts.
On Sunday night we piled into the car and drove out to the Outback Steakhouse for a rare family restaurant meal. You may recall that this is about the only restaurant we go to with the kids because they handle the babe's food allergies so well. It's loud, family oriented and fast which makes it a perfect fit for us. Sunday was another reassuring reminder that we can actually dine in public like other "normal" families.
While all the little guy consumed was fries and orange juice, the babe was awesome and pretty much ate everything on her plate. She tried every vegetable and decided she wasn't going to eat the squash, which we said was fine. My husband and I complemented her on what a great job she did eating and she apologized that she didn't want to eat the squash. We told her that it's fine to not eat something if you've tried it.
Then she made her super wise comment: "You can't taste with your eyes!"
How true is that? The girl knows you cannot judge food without putting it in your mouth first! I feel like we took a huge step forward with that one comment and I left the restaurant feeling positive and empowered (and really, really full). Kids really can have the most insightful thoughts.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Screen Time
As a dedicated parent, I understand that I need to limit and control screen time. Luckily my kids are at an age where "screen time" means TV, not all the other gadgets available these days (I sound old right now, don't I?). Honestly, as a Stay-at-Home-Mama, I do not know where I would be without our precious screen time.
I generally like to follow the recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics: no more than 2 hours of quality programming per day. I also tend to break those 2 hours up strategically so I can get through the day myself. I do not beat myself up when I turn on the TV. I find it a practical way for my kids to chill out a bit and for me to get some vital work done (like cooking food that we can all eat).
I recently came across What to Watch: The Best Children's Television by Darienne Hosley Stewart at Babycenter.com's site. It is worth taking a look at to see if there's any shows you could rotate into your viewing schedule (if you have one, that is). I like that there's a little summary of the series you can review before giving the show a try.
We recently set our DVR to tape Dinosaur Train (PBS) and WordWorld (PBS). I cannot tell you how much my kids dig these shows. They LOVE them, and because they LOVE them, so do I. I love feeling like they're actually learning stuff while they sit in front of the TV. It makes me feel good about my parenting, because let's admit it, there's a lot these shows can teach that I can't (I am not a dinosaur expert in any way, shape or form). And frankly, there's a lot I can get done while they're watching and learning that I can't get done if the TV is not on.
A word of warning, the theme song for Dinosaur Train is extremely catchy. You may find yourself singing it at odd times of the day when there are no children present.
I generally like to follow the recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics: no more than 2 hours of quality programming per day. I also tend to break those 2 hours up strategically so I can get through the day myself. I do not beat myself up when I turn on the TV. I find it a practical way for my kids to chill out a bit and for me to get some vital work done (like cooking food that we can all eat).
I recently came across What to Watch: The Best Children's Television by Darienne Hosley Stewart at Babycenter.com's site. It is worth taking a look at to see if there's any shows you could rotate into your viewing schedule (if you have one, that is). I like that there's a little summary of the series you can review before giving the show a try.
We recently set our DVR to tape Dinosaur Train (PBS) and WordWorld (PBS). I cannot tell you how much my kids dig these shows. They LOVE them, and because they LOVE them, so do I. I love feeling like they're actually learning stuff while they sit in front of the TV. It makes me feel good about my parenting, because let's admit it, there's a lot these shows can teach that I can't (I am not a dinosaur expert in any way, shape or form). And frankly, there's a lot I can get done while they're watching and learning that I can't get done if the TV is not on.
A word of warning, the theme song for Dinosaur Train is extremely catchy. You may find yourself singing it at odd times of the day when there are no children present.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Telling the Truth
I caught my daughter red handed.
She got into the car last Thursday afternoon and proceeded to play with a bunch of small orange beads as we drove home. I asked her where they had come from. I obviously knew they had come from school, since that was where I had just picked her up, but I wanted to see what kind of story she would spin for me. The fact she had them in her shoe was a tip off.
She started off strong and said she had gotten them at school. I then asked her why she had them and what she was supposed to do with them. Was it some kind of "homework"? She dodged the question and mumbled some gobbledygook to me. I asked if she was allowed to bring them home and she mumbled yes. As I wasn't satisfied with her answers, I asked again what she was supposed to be doing with the beads. She finally admitted she wasn't supposed to take them home at all.
AHA! Gotcha! (I did not say this out loud)
When we arrived at our place, we collected all the beads that had spilled everywhere, put them in a zip lock bag and put them in the back of her lunch box. I told her we were going to have to return them to her teacher and explain what had happened. The babe wasn't happy about that. She looked down, ashamed and with a slightly frightened look on her face, said, "do I have to?"
I've decided I am not going to mess around with this taking things that don't belong to you stuff. So I explained that if we take things we're not supposed to, we have to bring them back and apologize.
So Friday morning rolls around and we walked up to the Head teacher. I gave a little briefing on the situation and let the babe take over. She looked quite sheepish and said she was sorry. She proceeded to listen to her teacher remind her of their previous discussions about thinking through our actions and using our brain to make the right decision.
It was monumental. The babe, I think, learnt an important lesson. And rather than letting this just slide, I'm glad I held her accountable. Perhaps this lesson will help guide future behavior, perhaps not. Regardless, I did what I could do and have now made it through another "first."
She got into the car last Thursday afternoon and proceeded to play with a bunch of small orange beads as we drove home. I asked her where they had come from. I obviously knew they had come from school, since that was where I had just picked her up, but I wanted to see what kind of story she would spin for me. The fact she had them in her shoe was a tip off.
She started off strong and said she had gotten them at school. I then asked her why she had them and what she was supposed to do with them. Was it some kind of "homework"? She dodged the question and mumbled some gobbledygook to me. I asked if she was allowed to bring them home and she mumbled yes. As I wasn't satisfied with her answers, I asked again what she was supposed to be doing with the beads. She finally admitted she wasn't supposed to take them home at all.
AHA! Gotcha! (I did not say this out loud)
When we arrived at our place, we collected all the beads that had spilled everywhere, put them in a zip lock bag and put them in the back of her lunch box. I told her we were going to have to return them to her teacher and explain what had happened. The babe wasn't happy about that. She looked down, ashamed and with a slightly frightened look on her face, said, "do I have to?"
I've decided I am not going to mess around with this taking things that don't belong to you stuff. So I explained that if we take things we're not supposed to, we have to bring them back and apologize.
So Friday morning rolls around and we walked up to the Head teacher. I gave a little briefing on the situation and let the babe take over. She looked quite sheepish and said she was sorry. She proceeded to listen to her teacher remind her of their previous discussions about thinking through our actions and using our brain to make the right decision.
It was monumental. The babe, I think, learnt an important lesson. And rather than letting this just slide, I'm glad I held her accountable. Perhaps this lesson will help guide future behavior, perhaps not. Regardless, I did what I could do and have now made it through another "first."
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