I don't want to go to jail!!

Last night was hectic in our house. Still knee deep in putting in a new bathroom for the kids, plus getting everyone ready for school. That includes one going to college (first in our family ever!), one going into 7th grade, and one going into third grade. Busy busy.

Kristin had stopped by to see dad at work, and he gave her some money to go buy a few things she needed for Monday. She stopped by Subway, then Cool Rayz tanning salon, then the car wash, and was headed to the bank to make a loan payment. On the way into the bank, she realized in a panic that her wallet was missing...along with her paycheck, the 90 bucks Dad just gave her, her license, etc etc. Crap. She calls us to ask what to do, after checking everywhere she had been twice. Needless to say, she came home completely bummed. She has a habit of losing/breaking stuff, and so Mom and Dad arent rushing to replace it all. But Im sure tomorrow we will be shopping. Sigh...life with children, at ANY age.

While Kristin was gone, Ciarra thought maybe her sister's new turtle was hungry, and decided to pour a good bit of FISH food into the tank. Oops. Not only has she already been scolded for this before, but she knows better. She did it anyway. Of course, I didnt know, I was making supper. All I could see was this cute little thing sitting on her pink bench in the hallway reading books. Innocent, sweet....ummm hmmm.

In comes Kristin, dejected. Shopping plans are curtailed, she is broke. And bummed. And about to be MORE bummed. She walks into her room, past innocent little Ciarra, who looks down quickly although she does mutter a short Hi. Hmm...
Out comes Kristin, in a tizzy, angry at Ciarra, angry at the world. She scolds Ciarra roundly, but within the bounds of sisterly love. Ciarra denies everything, in true 9 yr old style.

Kristin is now more peeved. She stomps into the kitchen, and asks me what to do about her missing wallet. I tell her to call the police. She tells me there's nothing they can do and starts to walk off, sadly. She is headed down the hall past Ciarra when I holler "Grownups call the police, Kristin, it is just what you DO!" She tells me "grownups are rational and know no one is going to hand it in if they STOLE it." (She has a point, but I still tell her to call the police.) she reverses direction to the office, sits down and dials the police. As she passes, in a tiny little voice, Ciarra says "Im a GOOD girl."

I think she is just being lippy about the turtle issue. But as I turn back to the rice I am stirring, her Daddy and I hear deep gasping breaths coming from the hallway. We rush to see what is breaking our baby girl's HEART, and she looks at us between sobs and says "I dont WANT to go to jail!!" Tears are now streaming down her cute little cheeks, sobs wrenching her body. "Im sorry. I wont feed the turtle!"

And it hits us all at once, in a great big powerful wallop of humor and bittersweet understanding. Ciarra thought we were talking about her feeding the turtle! She thought I told her big sister to call the police on her. Poor little thing is wracked with sobs, flung herself into Dads arms, begging not to go to jail, pleading with us that she really really is, a GOOD GIRL.

Life is never boring at our house, thats for sure. A bowl of ice-cream, some big apologies and some truth telling later, Ciarra is reassured. She understands that it wasnt about her at all. Still no wallet, but we are keeping our fingers crossed.