Lessons for the week

I have learned two valuable lessons this week that I wanted to pass along to you.
Sometimes when Rori leaves her toys out and I get frustrated, I threaten that I am going to throw them out if she doesn't put them away. That usually gets her moving. No, this is not the lesson I'm passing along. Basically, I think she has learned that when something annoyes me, throw it out. A few weeks ago, I bought her a new nightgown. You've probably seen it in some of the recent pictures, as she pretty much lived in it for days (don't judge me). It was a pretty aqua flannel with Ariel on it. Last week, I noticed that I hadn't seen it for a day or so. I figured it would turn up when we did laundry. It didn't. I kept looking for it. Yesterday I asked her for the millionth time if she remembered where she put it. Finally she looked at me and said she put it in the garbage. I asked her why and she said because she couldn't get it on. Apparently she got annoyed with it and threw it out. I really think that I was sadder about it than she was (I don't think she really understood it was now gone forever).

So, lesson 1, when teaching your kids about garbage, tell them not to throw out perfectly good clothes that their mama just bought them.

Yesterday, I was proudly telling my friend on the phone that my kids were playing in the bathroom but I didn't need to supervise them because we told them you should only put toilet paper in the toilet. Not five minutes after telling her this, I heard the toilet flush and start to overflow. I ran in there and turned off the water as the bathroom was filling with water. I yelled calmly asked, "What did you do?" Rori said that they wet toilet paper and threw it in. I asked how much and she replied, "lots and lots." Great.

Lesson 2, when teaching your children that only toilet paper goes in the toilet, specify how much is reasonable. Then don't brag to your friends about what you've taught them.