Story Telling

Where do you draw the line in telling "stories" to your kids. When do they actually catch on that you are "lying" or in other words "full of crap"?

It's getting harder and harder for me to pull one over on the girls, and I know that for the most part they believe every single thing I tell them. They believe that we can go to the store, and use Lou's phone to scan the bar code of a toy that they wanted added to their wish list, they believe that we have Santa on speed dial and direct email contact. They believe that when I buy something right in front of their face that it's not for them. But all of a sudden I'm starting to see the doubt on Emma's face.

I knew the days were going to be numbered, but the tough part really is timing. I don't have a lot of time in which I am able to shop, wrap and hide, it's really impossible. Last week we went to toys r us for Kai's birthday gift ideas. We walked around the store and she picked things out that she liked, and we "scanned" them. But then, all of a sudden, she found the gift. Now we knew what we were going to get her. One problem solved. Lou and I were understanding each other, and it was now my turn to take the girls to the other side of the store so that he could buy the gifts, put them in the car and come back in and get us.

Right away, Emma wanted to know where Dad was going, that was easy, he was going to the bathroom. Okay, one hurdle crossed. Now we are done and go to the car, bag is in the trunk. Get kids in the car, head home and get in the house. Here's where things went wrong. Lou LEAVES THE BAG IN THE CAR.

Not really a big deal, we are not in the car at during the week. Yesterday, we are getting ready to get in the car and I remember the bag is in the middle of the car, I start wildly pointing at a "bird" for the girls to look at and usher them around the opposite side of the car. Lou puts the bag back in the trunk. I go to the trunk and strategically place things around the bag so that it can't be seen without x-ray vision.

We come home from shopping and Kai, me and Gabby stay in the car while Lou & Emma empty the groceries to put the cold stuff in the house. Guess who sees the bag?!?!? Emma - this is the worst case scenario. Why? You must be thinking that the presents are for Kailee so wouldn't the worst case be that Kai see's them? Nope. Emma who is at the edge of knowing fact from fiction, mom's story from BS has now seen the bag. I hear Lou tell her to be quiet. My heart sinks, I know it's over, and our children are very, very hard to make excited and actually surprise and get a reaction out of, especially Emma, Kai not so much, her innocence is still there, and she is happy with the smallest thing, she does not throw tantrums, she is the easy going one, but I wanted her to have that reaction, the reaction that every present giver always wants, but now Emma knows......

This morning Kailee tells me that she also has seen it but is scared to say where she has seen it, so she covers and says "you know, Mama, in the store, where I was sad when we didn't buy it". Emma is now smirking, I am choking on the tears and anger, and Lou is laughing. SO. NOT. FUNNY. Anyway, I think we are okay, cause she is still swearing it's in the store. They go to their room, where I hear Emma tell her about the bag in the car and I hear Kai say I thought I saw the bag.

DEVASTED, I am. Need to think on my feet. I say nothing. I am really angry because Lou told me that there was no opportunity for the bag to come out of the car. Really? How about every night this week when you went out to the car, to get coffee or put the garbage out and the kids were upstairs in bed? We have a hall closet that no one ever goes in. Perfect place. My fault I should have taken responsibility.

So I wait. About 1/2 hour passes and I call Kai into the bathroom. We chat about things. Then I ask her what she thinks she saw and where she thinks she saw it. She's still swearing it was pink and it looked like the one she wanted but it was different and it was in the store, she is a smart one, she is putting the stories together to make a new one, but I see the glimmer and the smirk, but deep down inside I see her just wanted to make everyone else happy. She did admit that Emma told her, but then I told her that it wasn't what she or Emma thought it was, it was a pink bag of mine and an empty shoe box in the bag. My girl hugs and kisses me, and says ok.

She then says, "we will wait until my birthday and see if the birthday present fairy brings it, and to please email her to tell her we won't be home and to bring her present to Dutch Wonderland." End of story as far as Kai was concerened.

I tried the same tactic with Emma, she said, "I am saw the bag". I said, "we have to keep secrets to make surpries, it wouldn't be fair to ruin it, and I don't think you would like it either". She said, "ok". I know she knows, that I know she knows, but she may not know that I know that she knows that I know. LOL!