Hiding Things
Yesterday afternoon, when I reached up to put a roll of garbage bags into the cabinet, I noticed the digital camera sitting next to the China plates. You might wonder why garbage bags are housed in the same cupboard as China, but you have to remember that, even though we renovated our kitchen, we didn't change the size of said kitchen. And we have small closets.
Anyway, I looked at the camera and said to myself, "Huh, Tim must have put that there. Maybe so the dog won't eat it?" (By that time, Toby had returned to us. And with as much as he chews, it is conceivable that he would attack the digital camera.)
Well last night, I finally found out why the digital camera wasn't in its proper place. Earlier in the day, I had gotten frustrated with the twins because once again, they hadn't cleaned up their room. In fact, instead of putting their clothes away, they had merely shoved them into one of their large closets. So instead of going with me to the party supply store, I left the two of them at home to finish their work.
I knew the girls were angry when I left. But they hadn't listened, and going to the party supply store was a treat. They could miss out, as far as I was concerned. (In a case of good luck for them, the trip was a bust. The store had nothing that I was interested in.) Later on that day, when we were going through our religious education materials, we talked about getting angry with people and how, even when we are angry, we don't always say what is on our mind.
"Like when I get upset with you, girls, I don't always say what I'd like to say," I said to them. "And I'm sure you don't say everything that's in your head, either." The girls nodded their heads and smiled. I went on. "Today, I'm sure after I left you had a few choice things to say about me. Right?"
They piped right up. "Yep," Zoe said. "I yelled it down the hallway since no one was here!"
I laughed out loud at her. I couldn't fault Zoe, as I'd done the same thing so many times when the house was empty. And at least she possessed enough impulse control and respect to not yell to my face. We finished up our studies, and went on our way.
A little while later, Zoe came up to me. "Mom, I'm not sure I should tell you this, but I want to tell you."
"Okay," I said. "Go ahead."
She didn't hesitate. "I was mad at you, so I hid some things. I hid the camera..."
"Is that why it was in the cabinet? I wondered who had put it up there!"
"Yeah, and the dishsoap..."
"Interesting choice there, Zoe."
"And I was going to hide your laptop, but I thought that would be just mean."
Yes, yes that would be plain old mean. Because then I wouldn't be able to write down this little gem. I'm still wondering about the dish soap, though.
Anyway, I looked at the camera and said to myself, "Huh, Tim must have put that there. Maybe so the dog won't eat it?" (By that time, Toby had returned to us. And with as much as he chews, it is conceivable that he would attack the digital camera.)
Well last night, I finally found out why the digital camera wasn't in its proper place. Earlier in the day, I had gotten frustrated with the twins because once again, they hadn't cleaned up their room. In fact, instead of putting their clothes away, they had merely shoved them into one of their large closets. So instead of going with me to the party supply store, I left the two of them at home to finish their work.
I knew the girls were angry when I left. But they hadn't listened, and going to the party supply store was a treat. They could miss out, as far as I was concerned. (In a case of good luck for them, the trip was a bust. The store had nothing that I was interested in.) Later on that day, when we were going through our religious education materials, we talked about getting angry with people and how, even when we are angry, we don't always say what is on our mind.
"Like when I get upset with you, girls, I don't always say what I'd like to say," I said to them. "And I'm sure you don't say everything that's in your head, either." The girls nodded their heads and smiled. I went on. "Today, I'm sure after I left you had a few choice things to say about me. Right?"
They piped right up. "Yep," Zoe said. "I yelled it down the hallway since no one was here!"
I laughed out loud at her. I couldn't fault Zoe, as I'd done the same thing so many times when the house was empty. And at least she possessed enough impulse control and respect to not yell to my face. We finished up our studies, and went on our way.
A little while later, Zoe came up to me. "Mom, I'm not sure I should tell you this, but I want to tell you."
"Okay," I said. "Go ahead."
She didn't hesitate. "I was mad at you, so I hid some things. I hid the camera..."
"Is that why it was in the cabinet? I wondered who had put it up there!"
"Yeah, and the dishsoap..."
"Interesting choice there, Zoe."
"And I was going to hide your laptop, but I thought that would be just mean."
Yes, yes that would be plain old mean. Because then I wouldn't be able to write down this little gem. I'm still wondering about the dish soap, though.
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