So we had a bit of a, shall we say, mystery in our house last week. It involved some red paint and the base of our kitchen table . . . and an unlikely fall guy, our beloved dog, Wrigley. Although I didn't exactly catch her in the act, all signs pointed to Marci as the actual culprit. But that is one tenacious little daughter we have on our hands! She was so steadfast in insisting that Wrigely did it that Tom and I actually found ourselves at one point taking turns poking holes in her argument.
The week got off to a busy start, and nearly two days passed until we had the time to sit her down at the kitchen table for a family meeting. We immediately reminded her that the penalty for lying in our family is an automatic spanking, and we gave her our whole schpiel about the importance of honesty and truthfulness. And then we asked her point blank to tell us who painted the base of the kitchen table. Without missing a beat, she looked us both in the eye and fingered Wrigley. My heart sank, and Tom's head hung low as it shook from side to side. We explained to her the impossibility of her alibi and sent her to her room to await her spanking.
Tom and I talked a little more and even found ourselves at one point debating the feasibility of Wrigley wielding a paint brush. We then came back to our senses and decided to give her one last chance to come clean. We called her back to the kitchen table and reminded her of the difference between the truth and make believe. And then Tom (in his most serious and stern Daddy voice) rephrased the question and asked, "Marci, did you paint the table?" Again she denied it. We sent her to her room and told her that her spanking was on its way.
Feeling totally bested by our four-year old, Tom and I looked at each other in sheer defeat. We knew we had to stick to our guns. Together, we entered her room where we found her crouched in the corner in her chair. As soon as she saw us, she burst into tears. Sobbing, she exclaimed, "Okay, okay, I'll tell you who do did it." By now her chest was really heaving as she continued, "It was meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. I did it. I did it, but I too scared to tell you."
WHEW!!
The relief of finally hearing the truth almost buckled my knees. Except for Marci's sobs, it was quiet in her room for what seemed like a long time. We hugged her and thanked her for finally telling us the truth. We told her that she was off the hook for the spanking, but she was in her room for the rest of the night. No dinner. No bath. No story time. Her hysterics returned. As we made our way to her door, we told her that we loved her dearly and hoped that she had learned her lesson.
No less than five minutes later, her room was completely quiet. I peeked in her door, and she was fast asleep. Let's just say that she wasn't the only one who went to bed early that night!
We have certainly been blessed with one tenacious daughter. And while tenacity is a great character trait, it sure is tough on a parent! I just hope we have the stamina to continue to match her determination and steer her persistence in a positive direction.
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