With Easter just passed I learned how different my children are. Elizabeth, the eldest, always enjoys the hunt Easter morning. Filling her basket with brightly coloured eggs she grabs them sometimes remembering to leave one or the little triage of treats for her siblings. It’s all about how much she can fill her basket. She’s at the age when she knows she’s supposed to ask before diving into any of her treats but reaching that age that she’s learned how to sneak one without mom knowing. (Or so she thinks.) At least she puts those bright foil covers in the garbage to hide the evidence.
Our middle child, Audrey, carefully seeks out eggs in her favourite colours, (shiny purple ones this year), counting how many she grabbed in a neat winding line. She always asks before touching the chocolate treats.
Jacob, being four years old, was the most excited for the Easter Bunny this year. Scoring an egg with treats was beyond belief and he happily grabbed anything his little hands could reach filling multiple baskets. What I did not take into account, was a basket being left out of the supervision of an adult.
After pancakes, morning cartoons and discussion whether it was a pajama day or not, the girls went to work with their new art pads and pencil crayons and Jacob quietly disappeared up to his room.
“Honey, what are you doing?”
“Getting dressed.”
Strange since we had decried today a pajama day but I didn’t think anything of it.
A little while later it was quiet in the house, too quiet for a mom of three or more kids. Putting the last dish away, I remembered that quiet sometimes means trouble so I went hunting.
The girls had snuck onto the WiiU, frolicking with Luigi and Mario their art pads flung to the side. Their Dad lay sheepishly by on the couch as I frowned shaking my head.
“Come on Mom..it’s Sunday!”
Sunday in our house is electronics day so I let it go.
“Where’s Jacob?” I asked.
Mr. L shrugged and went back to napping. (6:30 am on a Sunday is a bit early and he did make us all breakfast.)
“Jacob? Where are you?” I hollered across the house.
“In my room.”
“Still?”
“I”m playing.” He was playing with the door closed.
Fearful of what I might find, I went upstairs and slowly opened the door.
Jacob yelled, “NO!” Slamming the door closed.
Opening it back up I scolded, “Jacob, you know the door is supposed to be open.”
There was the evidence, all over the floor. The blue and yellow straw basket tipped over with many, many brightly coloured foil wrappers decorating his rug. I gasped in horror wondering how this was going to be managed the rest of the day, “Jacob!That’s too much chocolate!”
With his hazel eyes glinting and mouth covered in chocolate he tipped the remaining eggs on the ground and shrugged, “They were in my room.”
I couldn’t disagree, they were.
Hal
Three or More 