Lord Have Mercy

before I choke this child!

Symphony has just figured out how to use her Leapster that she has been playing with for close to a year now.  She is just overtaken by it at times, and I can't complain because it's a great learning tool for her and better than TV.  Today, she would not put the thing down, and I continued to tell her she needed to get ready to take a bath, but this new game on her Leapster just consumed her.  I made it clear that afterwards she could play the game, and that no toys, especially the Leapster where to go into the bathroom.  I told her three times to be specific and off she was into the bath tub.  

 As the girls played and laughed, their time in the tub was up and I went in to wash them up and get them ready.  Hmm...I thought to myself that they were old enough to know better than the puddle that was on the floor and carpet, but something else immediately caught my eye....the freakin' Leapster!  So I kinda flew off the handle about being disobedient and purposely not listening to me by bringing in the Leapster.  Little did I know that the next answer wasn't going to make things better.  I asked Symphony why the Leapster was in the bathroom and she told me that she wanted to play with it and so she took it into the tub....hence the water on the floor next to the Leapster!  I picked the thing up and it was drenched and dripping water.

Ok, I couldn't contain myself because not only did she straight out disobey me, but now ruined a pretty expensive toy that we had taken great care of.  I tried to turn it on in hopes that it would work, but no dice, and more fuel to my fire! I made it clear that the Leapster was very expensive, and that papa didn't work for nothing when it comes to getting special things for her.  In case you don't know, Symph has a memory that is amazing, and she let me know that papa didn't buy it for her, it was her Vovo and Vavo.  So here's our yelling match:

B:  Now it's ruined and you don't have a Leapster

S: That's okay, I'll just ask Santa for another one

B: Santa doesn't bring disobedient kids the same toys again when they are irresponsible

S: Then someone in the family will buy it for me

B: (flame just fueling) the family will not buy you one after I tell them that you purposely disobeyed me!

S: Fine, I'll wish on a wishing star

B: Wishing Stars don't work in this case! 

I was so upset, and she was too (crying), that I didn't punish her.  I figured she had enough with just our yelling match!

When Dom came home I told him quietly about our incident and immediately he started with her.  He pretty much gave her the same talk, with a bit a of a calmer tone when Symph came back with this:

S: You know, #1 Uncle Henry taught me something bad.

D: What are you talking about?

S: He told me "just forget about it"

D: What are you talking about?

S: just forget about it, forget about the Leapster

oh my, this little one knows exactly how to use and say things in the appropriate context and right time!   Dom was putting his keys away in the pantry when she was saying this and had to cover himself behind the cabinet to contain his laughter.  Needless to say the conversation was over and again, no punishment.

We are thankful that God has given us our minds to reason, but really, at such a young age?   :)