I check a handful of blogs almost every day and am always thrilled when a new post is up. Many times it is some recent photos of my friends' children or a cute little story, but others have brought me to tears with their sentimental reflections. (Thanks Sara). I'm sorry if I don't have the humor or sentimentality, much less the time to write, but thanks for checking up on me. You never know when you will be surprised!
Kyle is our oldest. He's also the most mature, mainly because of his age but he is a good kid and we are very proud of him. He's our go-to when we need the truth to a story or a quick job done without a fight. Kyle's our guy...or so we thought.
This week the book fair was at Kyle and Trent's school. As a kid, I remember the excitement of the book fair. Being in the library with books you could take home FOREVER was one of my favorite times of he school year! I would peruse the books and pick out some of my favorites. Books were one of my passions as a kids, especially loving Ramona and her naughtiness (I really related to that girl in a alter-ego kind of way) and Judy Blume and her naughtiness (periods...gasp!...and worse). My pile of books I chose at the book fair usually came up to my nose, and I was usually disappointed when I came home with only five books.
My boys get to go to the book fair during their library time at school, but I always take them rather than sending them to school with money. It's another of my many ways to live vicariously through my kids. My plan was to take the boys to the book fair at school on Tuesday after school when I had to pick them up from an after-school club. I was going to be there anyway, one less trip of dragging the babies out. There is only one rule, only books. None of these stupid little magnet kits, puppy puzzles, stuffed Cliffords...nope! Only books! The sky's the limit, pretty much.
The ultimate literary Utopia was destroyed this year by my "go-to" guy. On Tuesday afternoon, I get a phone call from the school that Kyle has a tummy ache and can he come straight home instead of going to the after-school club. Not a big deal, send him on home. As he gets off the bus stop, he tells me someone had bought him books at the book fair. I question it a little, thinking a friend of my or his teacher had bought him a small book or something. It's only when he starts to pull out his book fair booty that things start to unravel. Book after book, science kit after plush toy...hmmm.
Me: Who bought these for you?
Him: I forget.
Me: Was it an adult or a kid? (As I'm adding up the merchandise in my head to total more than $31.)
Him: Adult, I forget who.
Me: (pause)
Him: (pause)
Steve walks in to the kitchen at this point and asks what was going on. I tell him Kyle's story ("story" being the key word). Steve questions him more and asks him to empty his pockets. That's when Kyle starts to sob, wanting much more to go to his room than to continue this conversation. Turns out he stole a $50 bill from us and used it at the book fair. He was aptly punished from friends and TV for the week and cannot take money to school for the rest of the year.
But the punishment weighed heavily on me. I couldn't take Kyle to the book fair. No books for Kyle this year. I had to return all of the book fair paraphernalia he had bought. Next year's book fair will probably remind me of this incident, but book fairs will probably not always be tainted in my mind. I will get over it.
Steve, however, is having a harder time with this little lying episode. He wonders how Kyle really thought he could get away with this. If he had taken the books up to his room with little fanfare, we probably wouldn't have been the wiser. Steve can't believe his son is such a terrible liar and why he didn't think this through more. It's really bothering him!
I'd like to think he's not a good liar because he hasn't gotten much practice. I'd like to keep it that way! I want my "go-to Kyle back!
1 comment:
A couple of days ago, I noticed that someone had colored the some of the molding around the island a very pretty pink color. The culprit had even left the pen right there in plain view. When I called the girls over and asked you did it, they both denied it.
Elena is going to have to work on her poker face cause it was clear as day that she was the guilty party. I cocked my eyebrow at her and she immediately burst into tears.
I told her that my mommy could always tell just by looking at me when I was lying and that, too bad for her, it appears that I've inherited that ability:)
I don't really know who felt worse when it was all over......
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