Big Ole Meanie

Today was the first day in Abby's school career that she did not want to go to school.Why didn't she want to go to school? Well because her Mommy (that would be me) is a big meanie. Yep, that's what she yelled at me from her porcelain throne this morning.

Abby: Mom stop being a big meanie to me.
Me: How am I being a big meanie to you?

I asked even though I knew the answer. I had asked Abby to do something at school today that she wasn't looking forward to and thus I was a big meanie. You see this weekend while I lovingly washed my family stinking laundry I came across a small red plastic bear in the pocket of Abby's jeans. This was the same red plastic bear that Abby had placed in the red bowl along with it's red plastic bear brothers as part of her social history meeting with her j/k teacher. Abby had taken home school property without permission.

When I, calmly, confronted her with the red plastic bear she hung her head and refused to make eye contact, but did rather quickly admit that she had taken the bear from school because she wanted to show it to me. We had a serioius conversation about taking things without permission and also touching things that don't belong to you. I told her I was going to send the bear and a note back to her teacher via the j/k pony express. I told her I expected her to apologize to her teacher the following day at school.

That's why I was the big meanie this morning. I told Abby again that I was expecting her to apologize to her teacher when she got to school and that's when she decided that going to school didn't sound like much fun today. We talked about how it's important to apologize if you've done something wrong. She was afraid her teacher would be md at her, but I told her most times people don't get very mad if you say you're sorry and mean it. And that, more importantly, saying sorry is the right thing to do. The poor little thing stood at the back door and cried, but her Dad and I reassured her that everything would be just fine if she apologized. She finally calmed down and we left for the bus stop where she hopped on with no problems.

All day I wondered and worried about what was going on at school. I had written in the note to her teacher requesting that she bring the issue up if Abby didn't and I was willing to bet that she wouldn't. When Abby finally got home tonight after swimming lessons I dived into the mail bag expecting a return note from her teacher. I have to admit I got a little misty when I read that Abby had apologized for taking the bear home as soon as she got to school. She didn't want to do it. She wasn't looking forward to doing it, but she did it anyway. She may have thought I was a big ole meanie, but at least she was listening.