Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Curiosity killed the cat..or so the saying goes!

Children are naturally curious. I think God has fun with the mankind “curious” gene.  In my case, my children are VERY curious...about everything.  This can on occasion, create embarrassing moments....let me share a recent example. 
 
Part 1:  Courtney recently went to the “ Health Museum ” on the 5th grade trip, learning about the upcoming changes she’ll experience as she matures on her puberty journey. (OK – warning, this might shock some of you despite my ability to be “sensitive” in verbiage!).  That said, we bought some “supplies” to have on hand for the appropriate time.  She is as all young girls, excited and curious and nervous and everything else about it!  We’ve had a number of chats as the unknown of it all is driving her batty.  So...she put her pending supply in the bathroom drawer that is hers.  Correct disposal and all that had been discussed.
 
Part 2:  Right before Thanksgiving, our basement sewer lift quit.  Third time since 2006 – it should last 15 years, but no, we are on our 3rd fix.  Just FYI.
 
Part 3:  AFTER Thanksgiving, Tobias informs me he went into the bathroom and found the toilet unflushed in their main bath and it was rather full, but he went ahead and flushed it – serious talk about "get a grown up next time before just flushing whatever! 
 
Part 4:  Sophia loves toilet paper parties in the bathroom, after all, we are three!
 
Part 5:  I find a “pad” wrapper and back strip in the trash can, but NO pad.  Hmmm
 
Part 6:  I ask each of the three older children, do you know anything about this? Exhibit A = evidence.
 
Part 7:  All three deny having touched ANYTHING like that and plead ignorance.  Since it was late in the evening, they all went to bed.
 
Part 8:  Saturday morning, after the older three eat their breakfast I inform them we are having a mini-family meeting – them and me!  I show them my “evidence” and explain, I have no problem with curiosity, but want to know where the MAIN part the leftovers went...did it get flushed, stuck on a friends back, fed to the dog????? Just where did it go?  No one knows anything.  SO....this is where I began to really have fun.  I went into a little “ Health Museum ” biology about the purpose of a pad and why a girl will have to wear it, etc etc.  My son’s faces are open mouthed and they are attempting to cover their ears but still want to hear what I have to say, saying they didn’t know that stuff, gross, la la la la. I tell them they've been to the health museum chats but the declare that stuff wasn't discussed.  Courtney sits there (because she knows the stuff) sheepishly looking at my like I’ve lost my mind. I also pointed out Courtney knows that they don’t get flushed and she’ll discreetly place them in the garbage can wrapped up so we don’t have to stare at the bloody grossness and hopefully the dog won’t drag them around the house.  (Occasionally he is known to wear a “Light Days” or two.)  I advised them that in the next 20 minutes the person who messed with it out of curiosity just needs to be HONEST (read other blog on lies, lies lies....yes we have them in our house) and there is no consequence for anything if they fess up before 8 a.m.  After that the timer gets set and for every 30 minutes without a confession if will cost $5 per kid who “didn’t” do the exploring to be paid to the siblings, they’d all be grounded alike, etc etc....no life at all, fess up. 
 
Part 9:  Courtney needs to use the bathroom and is excused from the room.  Instantly a hand goes up (like they are in school....which is funny because they never do that at home!) and a confession erupts with a request for me to not disclose the culprit nor talk about it anymore. Supposedly it was flushed; brief conversation reminding them it is like a diaper and we don’t put those in the toilet....ignorance is blamed.
 
Part 10:  Two days later I’m touching up the daybed in the guest room and my foot feels something “suck” onto it, from under the bed skirt a “pad” is stuck to my sock.  Liar confronted again.....I just don’t get it.  Lecture told to him “don’t lie to me; just tell me the truth, why did you say you flushed it?  Did you plan to wear it to school?”  Warned him I might stick it on his back unknowingly.....
 
Part 11:  Life goes on until the next weird adventure of one toddler, two pre-teens and  one teen. 
 
Someone – please tell me they at least smiled :-) in reading this....it still cracks me up!

1 “‘If anyone sins because they do not speak up when they hear a public charge to testify regarding something they have seen or learned about, they will be held responsible. 2 “‘If anyone becomes aware that they are guilty—if they unwittingly touch anything ceremonially unclean (whether the carcass of an unclean animal, wild or domestic, or of any unclean creature that moves along the ground) and they are unaware that they have become unclean, but then they come to realize their guilt; 3 or if they touch human uncleanness (anything that would make them unclean) even though they are unaware of it, but then they learn of it and realize their guilt;  Leviticus 5

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