The Puddles

I was reminded tonight of a story that happened a few weeks ago.  It really is too good to not document it somewhere!

I was sitting in my office when suddenly I hear Ben coming down the stairs crying.  I ask Ben what’s wrong and he’s crying so hard that I can’t even understand him.  Something about Ainsley and Madie, so I head up stairs to find out what’s going on.  After many tears and many interruptions and talking on top of each other, this was what happened . . .

Ainsley found a tube of lip gloss in the bathroom.  Madie swore it was hers. Ainsley insisted it was hers.  I guess Madie wanted it more than Ainsley.  So Ainsley said she would give it up for something special of Madie’s.  Madie offered her two favorite stuffed animals.  Apparently that wasn’t enough for Ainsley to give up ownership.  So Ben, wanting his sisters to all be happy, gave up one of his favorite toys to Ainsley in order to finalize the deal.  At this point, Ainsley gave up her rights to the tube of lip gloss.  With the deal finalized, it is at this point that Ben comes downstairs realizing what he has done and is thoroughly upset by it all.

After I figured out what the story is, I had many thoughts.  One . . . Wow that Ainsley is a smart one.  Two . . . I can’t believe that Madie said yes to that deal. And three . . . that is so sweet of Ben to give up so much to make his sisters happy.  After I collected myself to not laugh out loud, I explained to the kids that this was a lipgloss that I bought for “ONE DOLLAR”. That all of this was over a dollar tube of lipgloss.  I made Ainsley give up the lipgloss and told her that she had to share with Madie.  I made her give up all of the toys that she received from her siblings and tell them sorry.  I made Madie accept the lipgloss and offer it back to Ainsley to share.  I told the kids that they will always be siblings that they needed to get along with each other and that “stuff” was not as important as family.  I also told Ben that what he did to make peace was self-sacrificing and told the girls how lucky they were to have a brother like him.

I am not entirely sure whether I should be worried or impressed by Ainsley’s ability to bend others to her will.  Either way I am still surprised with the adventures that these children share with me every day.  I think that I wanted to write this one particular adventure down so that when either she becomes an extortionist or a CEO of some multinational business I can say that I was a witness to the beginning.