A sucker for a life lesson

Our library has a summer reading program where the kids can earn prizes each week for turning in book logs documenting all of the reading they have been doing over the summer.  It really is a nice program, as the prizes are not only trinkets from a box, but coupons for free kids meals at various (nice) restaurants, as well as treats from ice cream shops, candy stores, and the Auntie Annie's Pretzel Company in the mall.

Today, Myka had asked if she could use her coupon for her free pretzel and I figured with all of our coming and going we could work that out.  After a day of playing on the beach at Lake Michigan as well as swimming in our own backyard pool, I was regretting my earlier answer but stuck to my word and threw the kids in the car after supper for a quick trip (and treat) at the mall.

They each chose their pretzels, and while I suggested they just eat them in the car on the way home, they asked to sit on the edge of the planter in the center of the mall and eat. Since we were already there it wasn't that big of a deal so we did.  Myka was done in about four minutes.  Eli had taken about four bites.  I could write a whole post about how long it takes this kid to eat.  Let's just say, I have taken many afternoon naps at the table waiting for him to finish his lunch.

So after giving him ample time to finish, and before Myka got so antsy that she was jumping INTO the planter, he agreed to finish the rest of his treat in the car.  We made our way out there and as we got close I told him once he climbed in, I would help him buckle into his car seat so he could hold his pretzel without dropping it.  Since he always wants to do it himself, I wanted to give him a little time to adjust to the plan so as not to throw a fit and drop the thing on the ground anyway.  He agreed and slowly started climbing into the car.

Myka headed around to her side but as I waited for Eli to climb in (which also takes a LOOOONG time) I noticed she wasn't opening her door and I couldn't see her head.  I know I said, "climb in, honey," at least twice.  Then, just as I started to buckle Eli in, she came back around to where I was, saying, "MOM, THERE'S ANTS ALL OVER ME!"  I heard her before I saw her, and figured she stepped on some and they were on her feet.  As she got close, I saw that, indeed, there were a few on her feet.

"OK, honey, you just stepped on them."

"NO! THEY'RE IN MY DRESS!  THOUSANDS OF THEM!" and she pulled her dress from her chest and looked down, and then completely freaked out.  As I peered inside and saw what she had seen, my first thought was,

Oh no!  Her dress was on the deck while she swam and we just put it on to come to the mall.  The ants must have got in there then! 

I started to feel really terrible, even though I found it very strange that she hadn't noticed them until now.  I just couldn't think of any other way so many ants would have gotten into her dress so fast. I quickly walked her back around the car to help her get her sundress off once she got in.  As we rounded the back the car, I saw a perfectly in tact Blow Pop sucker in the wrapper lying by the car.   The next thought was,

Hmmmm.  I'm surprised she didn't pick that up.  It looks brand new.

As she climbed in the car, I looked down again while I waited for her to sit down.  I now noticed the Blow Pop was covered with ants, and there were many more on the ground around where it was laying.  It didn't take me more than three seconds to put it all together.  As I pulled her dress off I said, "Did you try to put the sucker in your dress?"

"No...Yeah."

There have been many times in the past where I have gone against good parenting advice to just let the situation do the teaching.  The teacher/mother/perfectionist in me always wants to re-explain why something was a poor choice, just in case it didn't get through the first time.  As I stood by my side of the car picking more than one hundred ants off of her dress so we could take it home, I giggled to myself about the fact that the conversation had ended right there. 

Those ants got the point across much better than I ever could, and all without saying a word.