On our very leisurely stroll (is there any other speed in the company of a 3 year old?) back down the hill from school with Thomas in tow we have to pause at every single flower bearing weed we pass.
This wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't for the fact that most of the school are actually following us down the hill and Thomas walks considerably slower than them all. I am sure we are a common cause of frustration. (We must be annoying because slow walking infuriates me beyond measure, of course I have just traipsed up the hill to collect Thomas with Eli to push so all I am fit for at this point is a slow trundle downwards, so I can overlook it).
At every weed he stops and stoops down and very slowly picks me off a flower and hands it to me saying 'That's for you mummy', it is sweet I admit (plus these are the only flowers I ever receive so it'd be rude to be ungrateful). But by our journeys end I have more flowers (that are actually weeds) than I know what to do with.
On arriving home the other day I emptied the contents of my pocket into the bin by the door giving it very little consideration.
Later on Thomas approached me with the flowers in his hand and a look of grave concern on his face,
"My find these flowers in the bin mummy."
He looked so sad and almost betrayed that I did what I had to....
I lied!
"Oh no Thomas they must have fallen out of my pocket by accident into the bin, thank you so much for finding them for me."
He handed them back to me with a look that indicated that he'd accept my answer but that he wasn't completely convinced it was the actual truth.
I placed them on the desk and he frequently came to check they were still right there and not accidentally discarded.
I guess in future I'll just have to remember to conceal them a little bit better because I think he's getting to the age where he is suspicious I might not be 100% honest.
Dishonesty, now that's is something you have to be proud of teaching your kids (drips with sarcasm).
17 lovely comments:
Are you sure we aren't sisters separated at birth. This story sounds all too familiar. The only part that would be different would be that I probably would have kept them in the trash can and made up another lie about the diseases we would get if we took them out.
HA! Poor Thomas! It's so sweet, but it's not like you can keep them :) My nieces always give me tons of coloring sheets that they've "drawn" when I visit. I love them so much, I love that they want to give them to me, but what do I do with 20 coloring pages of Cinderella?
Anyway...
The kids at school are forever handing me dandelions and such...I generally just "accidently" drop them on the ground a few minutes later. Surprisingly, very few children actually notice!
Too cute. I love your stories. I felt like I was right there, walking sllllloooowwwlllly beside you. ;)
Awww, sweet boy. I learned that lesson while teaching school. When the kids would pick flowers or draw something for you, they would always check to make sure you still had it. It's endearing. It's also very hard to keep ALL of the precious things given to you!
LOL Carol! We all do it from time to time and will continue to do so for years to come, I'm afraid....
What I do with the flowers that Kendra picks for me is put them in water in a cup or bowl, and then discard them when she's gone to bed for the night.
Oh Lordy....I had the same darn conversation with my daughter only it was her precious 500 coloring pages...colored just for me and littering my refrigerator....that had been tossed. How do you explain to a 5 y/o that you just cannot keep every single thing she has ever colored?
Yes, must conceal the evidence better next time.
Maybe you could get a little cup/vase to display them proudly?
Hi! I just came across your blog and had to comment...my daughter is forever picking me "flower" when we are outside. I actually started putting them in a small bud vase with water and believe it or not some of them stay pretty nice!!! I was surprised myself!!! An added bonus is that my daughter feels extra proud to see her "posies" in a vase on the kitchen counter.
Have a great week!
You see Carol, I bet that's why your husband doesn't buy you flowers (that's the excuse my husband would use I'm certain of it)
awwww...
this has happened to me too. Now that baby boy who's flowers I threw away.....well, he is now 8.
and that precious little 8 year old is the BEST liar that I have ever met. Scary.
He learned from the best- his momma.
oooohhh....the things we will do to prevent our kids from being hurt!!
That is exactly the reason why I bought a a cute little set of six flower vases. They are small and hold a few dandelions. You may need to get yourself some of those. Usually $10 for a set and it makes them so happy.
At least he picks flowers or flowering weeds for you. Austin is obsessed with collecting and gifting me with dead leaves. What am I supposed to do with those?
Bad, bad Mommy!!!
Just kidding - I hang almost all of MH's artwork and then sneakily replace them at night with new stuff when I'm ready to discard the old (except, of course the classic stuff that will be saved forever). So far, so good! But I'm waiting for that day . . .
I do this ALL the time. You just have to make sure that whatever you are throwing away is covered up by other trash.
But you did exactly what I always do if I get caught! A little white lie is o.k. when it involves all of the "stuff" they want us to keep!
Oh Carol. That was too cute! I can't believe he checked the trash can and found them.
Hee, hee. I guess that you are going to have to find a special trash can to put them in. :)
What a sweetie pie Thomas is! But I do know how those little treasures can pile up... I make a big show of putting them all in Mommy's "Treasure Box" - where things get recycled when I can get away with it.
And I'm certain dishonesty is something those guys will NEVER learn from their mom... some punk-ass 3rd grader will demonstrate it beautifully when they're in kindergarden. Take heart! :)
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