Lessons Learned

In just 2 days, we've had 3 experiences that have taught my girls (and me) "life lessons." First, while the girls were playing outside, Makenna came in crying but wouldn't tell me what was wrong, just that "the lady got mad at me." So Kiera filled me in. Makenna picked a few of our neighbors flowers; the lady came out and said she could look at the flowers anytime, but to please not pick them. I talked to Makenna about it and we decided to go apologize to the neighbor. We did (with Makenna's little face hidden in my pants) and I thought how this was actually a good thing - she learned about respecting other people's things, being responsible, and feeling (and saying) sorry.

So now lesson 2. The next morning as I opened my purse, I saw a little girl's hair bow - a bow that wasn't ours. When I asked Kiera about it, she said she found it on the floor of the store we were at yesterday. The girls are always looking for "treasures" on store floors - pennies, pebbles, nails, whatever. But yesterday she found a bow and stuck it in my purse. I told her that it wasn't ours, and her eyes immediately filled up with tears. She said, "Oh no - I can't believe I stoled something. Will I go to jail?" I tried to relieve her fears, and I told her it didn't look like something that store would sell; maybe it was something someone lost. So our task for this evening is to return it to the store because "that's the right thing to do."

And finally the last lesson (I hope for at least a little while!).... Last night, Kiera was teasing Makenna over and over and when Makenna finally argued back, Kiera pulled Makenna's hair. I told Kiera that we don't pull hair and took her to Time Out. When the time was over and I went to get her, she was sobbing hard but quietly. She said, "I don't want to hurt Makenna and I don't want to be mean, but sometimes I can't help it. I don't know how to stop. So I think I need to go away and live with Granny for awhile." As my heart broke, I told her that she didn't need to do that, that we love her, and that she can work on not hurting Makenna. But slowly and dramatically, she went out the door, saying she wished she didn't have to do this, but she knows she needs to, that she'll miss us, etc. (I think drama and playing the martyr runs in our family). When she closed the door, Makenna and I held each other and cried. About 20 seconds later, Kiera opened the door again and said that she decided today will be her last day till she goes to Granny's house. We all cried and held each other and I knew that everything would be all right....