TGS: Lessons Unlearned

Gracie just couldn't keep it together at dinner tonight. I don't know what it was--maybe a combination of having a dinner she actually wanted to eat and being really excited to see her daddy finally home? Whatever it was, it had her standing up on her chair, playing with her food, and making dinnertime cah-ray-zee. After several threats I finally had to tell her that since she couldn't behave she was done eating dinner, and I took her plate away. She pitched a fit, so she then got to go hang out in her room screaming, "I need my plate! I need my plate!" (Meanwhile second-child-Charlie fell asleep; second children have such awesome sleep capabilities!)

When she was allowed to come back out, Steve sat her down and explained to her that she had gotten her plate taken away because she had been playing with her food. She seemed to get it, so he decided to confirm.

"So, do we need to obey Mommy, or be silly?"

"Be silly."

He tried a couple more times, and repeatedly got the same answer.

*Sigh*

Finally he told her that when she doesn't obey it makes Mommy sad, and he told her she should go into the kitchen and apologize to Mommy. She came over to me, looked up into my face and said,

"I'm sorry you took my plate away."