Thursday, April 21, 2011

Lent is OVER!

At least in my house it is anyway.  I was doing so well, and was really kind of proud of myself...until yesterday.  I had all of the girls upstairs with me so that I could clean my bathroom.  All I wanted to do yesterday was clean my bathroom.  They usually play wonderfully upstairs.  As a matter of fact, before the Lent cancelling event, Sabrina had told me how she and Corrine were playing "Neighbors" where their bedroom was Sabrina's house, and Reese's room was Corrine's house.  It was so cute because my sister and I used to play the same game when we were their ages.  The gate is locked so nobody can fall down the stairs, I put the gate up across the doorway into my room so nobody could sneak into the bathroom and drink the Scrubbing Bubbles when I wasn't looking...it should have been a non-eventful day.  Then, they asked for a snack.  I told them to wait until I was done, but as I continued scrubbing the shower I was thinking to myself, "If you don't get them some crackers or something now, they are only going to keep asking and it will drive you insane.  Just get the snack now, and they will let you finish in peace."  I took off the gloves and headed downstairs to get the snacks.  As I was gathering up the bowls of crackers not even 2 minutes later I hear Sabrina yell down, "Corrine said Reese just ate a penny!"  WHAT?????  I run upstairs to find Corrine and Reese in front of the toy box playing with that little pink Fisher Price piggy bank, but instead of using the big plastic coins that come with it, they have a pile of real coins sprawled out in front of them.  Well, where did they get the coins from, MOM???  I knew you were going to ask.  My darling 5 year old stashed them there after she was specifically told NOT to put them there with this very scenario explained to her.  She had asked days before this if she could play with the coins in this bank and she was specifically told no, and to put the money in her piggy bank, and not leave it where her sisters can get it.  The memory of this conversation must have suddenly popped into her head because when I turned to look at her she had the appropriate, "Oh, shit" look on her face.  And I yelled.  As I took the piggy banks out of her room and stashed them where she can't get them and told her she could have them back when she is an actual mother instead of a 5 year old who just thinks she's in charge I kept thinking, "You almost made it to Easter...almost." 

All turned out fine.  Reese did NOT swallow any coins.  I took Sabrina with me and Reese to the ER though.  I figured it would be a good way to teach her some of the consequences that go along with not listening to what we tell her.  Plus, I was mad at her, and if I had to sit in the ER all afternoon on a beautiful day for this, damnit so was she!  Everytime she complained about sitting there not doing anything I would remind her that we would not be sitting there if she had not disobeyed on purpose.  And she wasn't allowed to watch the TV that was in our room either because that privilege was removed for the previously mentioned television incident.  Then, somebody came around with a complimentary beverage/snack cart which I declined.  I saw a flicker of comprehension of consequences when she asked why she couldn't have a cookie and I said, "Reese's doctor said she can't have anything to eat or drink until they find out if she swallowed the coin.  If Reese can't eat anything because of the coin, neither can you."  By the lack of protest, I sensed she was getting the point.  She was still trying to pin it on Corrine though when we got home, so who knows.

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