Sweetness

Today I was explaining to my sister how hard it is to get Clara in trouble.

Despite the fact that she is constantly getting into mischief of one kind... or another.

As soon as I tell her "No", before I have any time to get upset, she turns into this little ball of sweetness who agrees with me wholeheartedly on every point.

It goes something like this:

I walk into the room and see Clara covered from head to toe in marker.

Me: Clara! We don't colour on our bodies.

Clara: Okay Mommy. (hands me the marker)

Me: See your legs? (Arms, face, hands, feet, etc)? They are all messy now. That is naughty!

Clara: Okay. That's naughty.

Me: You need to apologize to Mommy.

Clara: Sorry Mommy. (gives me a big hug)

Me: Clara, please. We only colour on paper. Nothing else.

Clara: Okay. Paper.

Then she gives me a look something like this:


And I forgive and forget and lose complete sight of the fact that she's coloured on herself (or the walls, floors, important papers, etc.) almost daily for the past 3 months.

Then I go find one of the older kids and threaten punishment if they don't stop leaving their markers lying around the house.