Getting Ready for the Fair

Tonight, after supper, at the time when I am (and I'm sure all mothers are) usually looking at the clock thinking... "I almost made it! Not too much longer until bedtime!!!", I was trying to get a few more things done while the girls were playing together really well. So I decided to give them just a couple more minutes before I was going to interrupt to get the bedtime routines going. David was still at work (he didn't get home until after 7 pm tonight), and I was thankful for their being occupied and enjoying themselves. Then Lucia came to me and said, ever so sweetly, "Mama, would it be ok if I shut my door?" I said, "sure!", though I was a little confused because Rhea was IN her room (usually when she makes that request, she's trying to keep her little sister out and wants some quality 'alone time'). So I kept on accomplishing tasks listening to them giggle and laugh in Lucia's room until I finally decided that I was going to go put Rhea's pajamas on.

Then... my jaw dropped. I walked in to my children looking like this:


I almost busted out laughing, but I was able to control myself (initially). Since not too long ago we already had a marker incident (where it ended up on the carpet :-O ), I felt like I had to set a precedent on this one, as difficult as it was for me. First, we talked it through and I listened to Lucia's side of the story. "But Mama, it was SO MUCH FUN! And we were trying to get ready for the fair! I didn't hurt her! She really LIKED it! The marker tickled her face and she laughed and laughed! Mama, it made me so much fun! I just wanted to be a big girl like you and color on the face and get ready for the fair!" And eventually her story turned to tears, and that was even more heart-melting, because her tears turned purple before they dripped off her cheeks. I tried to explain to her that I was delighted that they had so much fun, and I was really happy they played so nicely together, but that she knew better than to color on her and Rhea's faces with markers. And that even though things are fun, it doesn't mean that they are always right and good to do. And that we need to do what is right first. And we talked through different options like coming to Mama when she has a fun idea like this one but isn't sure if (or ... knows for sure that) it's not ok, to ask if there's a better way to have that kind of fun. After the discipline, I just had to capture their faces and even got her story on video (though the second version was not nearly as funny and sweet as the initial rendering on my lap in her room.) Enjoy. :)