Right Idea. Wrong Shirt.

The right shirt for yesterday afternoon would have read:

"This momma doesn't cave. You got the wrong momma."

Some background.
We have been having a *cough* issue around here regarding keeping track of one's stuff and putting one's stuff away when one is done with it. It's been getting worse since Princess's teacher had the audacity to go off and have a baby, and I know it's nooooooo coincidence. She'll leave one article of clothing outside the laundry box. Put away the craft project but leave the stuffing on the floor next to the away space. Leave out one crayon. Leave one hairband on the counter. Leave one game piece on the table. One. One. One. One. Additionally, everything that should be kept at home seems to be at school at the moment. And things that were meant to stay at school mysteriously walk home on their legs that do not exist.

So yesterday.
Yesterday morning I held out the $5 for dues for Daisy Girl Scouts. I said, bring me your Responsibility Bag, please. Princess goes to her backpack and digs and digs and digs and digs, which is a necessary operation to find something when the inside of one's backpack strongly resembles a rat's nest. She says, "I can't find it. "

What was that bag called again? "Responsibility?" Was that it? And didn't you get a badge in preparation for how you'd carry it to and fro Daisys? I thought so.

So I say, "No bag. No Daisys"
"It's at school."
"No bag. No Daisys."
More frantic digging ensues.
We take off the tunic and put it away.

Fast-forward to five minutes before school lets out. The phone rings and Lo and Behold, it is the Daisy Leader. "Princess says she can't participate today because you don't have the money right now. I just wanted to let you know that it's no problem for her to come, and then you can pay when you can.

Really, really nice. Unfortunately, totally false information.

"Ummmmm. Yeah. Princess isn't to come home because I can't pay the dues. Princess is to come home because we're having a little *cough* issue with personal responsibility and caring for possessions. No bag, no Daisys."

Mrs. Leader was very nice about it (although I may have heard the "ok, crazy lady" pause- I couldn't be sure), and said she'd put her on the bus.

Cue the arrival of Princess and Co.

"Hey, Princess! Let's you and me go have a chat in my room."

I won't subject anyone to the entire conversation. It involved a lot of Princess insisting she told Mrs. Leader she couldn't go because she didn't have her bag and a lot of me silently staring with a soft smile and loving eyes and even more of me saying, "nope! Try again!"

She was TOTALLY not happy she was caught. But, she didn't pay me back (although I think it was because Peanut was in even more trouble, and who'd want to call attention to themselves in that scenario?). AND, she was able to process a little. Super huge! She did say a few times, in a highly snotty voice, "WELL, I didn't have money BECAUSE I didn't have my bag! So there! See?" which gives me the very valuable information that she fully recognizes the nuances behind what she told Mrs. Leader. Plus, when I asked, "so what were you thinking when you told her I didn't have money? What did you think would happen?" she said, "you'd let me stay at Daisys." Which was totally true (in her mind). Also totally unprecedented. But that's another story.



This momma doesn't cave. You got the wrong momma, baby.