Just a funny little story to share…
Early last fall, I made up one of my MANY little ‘stories’ that I tell my children. Most of the time, they know I’m completely blowing smoke! (They’ve come to predict my sense of humor… and every once in awhile, they even appreciate it! Not often though!)
As I recall, my then-4-year old son was pushing the limits with his mother. I, in turn, told him stories about “how mommies ALWAYS know what’s going on… even when you don’t think we do!”
I had forgotten about some of the details of this conversation. Until the other night, that is!
At dinner, completely out-of-the-blue, my now-5-year old turned to me and said, “Mommy? Remember those secret video cameras you told me you have all over the house to keep an eye on me? And how you said you move them around to different spots all the time so we never know where they’ll be for sure? I used to think you were just making that up so I couldn’t make bad choices without you seeing me. But NOW I know you weren’t making it up because I can totally see one of the cameras!!”
{Mom: choke, sputter, surprise, contained laughter, trying to hide my smile with my napkin…}
I as calmly as possible said, “Oh? I didn’t think I had any in this room right now… but I could be wrong. Where do you see one?”
He pointed to one of the track lights above the fire place that he was emphatically convinced looked different that night than other times!
I left him wondering if it really was a hidden camera or not.
He then proceeded to share how, when he thought I was only kidding, he had made some pretty bad choices about the way he treated his sister… and NOW he understood how I could get so frustrated with their little sibling issues. “It’s because you didn’t just see the ones that happened when you were in the room… you saw ALL of them!”
{I didn’t outright lie and say “yes”… I just let him go on!}
He had gotten one part of the “story” wrong, though. He said he didn’t think it was fair that his sister didn’t have video cameras watching HER as well! I ‘corrected’ him and said, “Oh, no… the same video cameras also see HER!”
He quick-as-lightning turned to his sister and said, “Oh, you are SO busted!!”
{She kind of gave me the fish eye… only half believing this whole story… but that half being strong enough that she didn’t dare question it at this point!}
Then, in his pouring-on-the-charm voice, he asked, “Do you think from now on you could just TELL me ahead of time where you’re going to put the cameras? That way, I can make sure I’m only making good choices in that particular room!”
OK, NOW I had to laugh out loud! Too funny!
I said, “No… that wouldn’t be as much fun for mommy! Plus, the one thing you’re forgetting is that the video cameras also catch ALL the times that you make really great choices… and you didn’t think I knew!”
{Priceless expression of surprise, wonder and pride on his little face!}
I also took the opportunity to remind him of a “life lesson” we were discussing back in the fall during our home schooling weekly themes… “Do the right thing, even if you think nobody’s watching or nobody will know.”
Even though that went over well, he still asked one more time if I could just video his sister for awhile so he could take a little break from it! I assured him that I don’t have to use the cameras as much as I used to… because I have those eyes on the back of my head and I can hear EVERYthing in this house!
Ahhh… the joy of brainwashing my children! Love it!
Maybe I’ll remember to tell them the ‘real’ story when they’re older. Maybe I won’t and it’ll be one of those funny moments when they’re grown-ups and we’re sitting around the table with THEIR children and I discover that they’ve believed me all those years!!
Now you may have a clearer picture of why I won’t be winning the Mother-of-the-Year award anytime soon! We sure do have fun, though!
Our kids have been on-the-go a bit more than usual for the past 3 weeks… vacationing along with another family (different schedules, different foods, etc.), then a very active vacation with mom and dad – LONG days full of adventure and exercise… and driving, then a day of whirlwind house cleaning to prepare for house guests, then visiting cousins for almost 5 days (late nights, early mornings), lots of summer activities, classes and camps, birthday parties… and so on.
