We have an advent calendar the girls enjoy using at Christmastime. It's the same calendar I used as a little girl. The tradition is to fill each of the little pockets with York Peppermint Patties. Each day of December before Christmas, the little mouse gets moved to a new pocket, and the peppermint pattie is split between participating siblings. Anny actually remembered the calendar this year. She had a fun time filling each of the pockets with peppermint patties as we got out our decorations, and had a bit of a tearful moment when one bag of mints only filled 22 of the pockets. Thankfully she has an experienced mother, who plans ahead for these things. I showed her the second bag I had bought, and she smiled, wiped the tears off her cheeks, and finished filling the pockets. The extra mints lasted just a couple tasty days in our candy dish.
Anny looks forward to her daily special duty of taking out the mint, splitting it with her sister, and moving the mouse into his new pocket. Merrylee of course looks forward to this too, and doesn't seem to notice when her half of the mint is somehow a bit smaller than her sisters.
This afternoon I was busy procrastinating some much needed house cleaning (still am as I write this post!) and doing some last minute online shopping. Merrylee had dragged a stool into the pantry, and was trying to find herself a snack. After refusing her various requests for christmas tree cakes and cookies, I finally just told her to stay out of the pantry. A few minutes passed, and it got a little too quiet in the kitchen- usually a time when the "mommy sensors" go off. I called for Merrylee, and recieved no response. I got up to see what she was up to, and found her sitting at the kitchen table, taking a bite out of a peppermint pattie she had snuck out of the advent calendar. She immediately looked up at me with a very guilty face. Obviously no "she's too little to understand" excuse could be applied. I told her "no" and reminded her those were special candies for our calendar. She made a very humble and sad face, and looked at her toes. A little hand containing the half eaten mint was rasied up towards me as she softly replied, "here Mama. I don't want it anymore."My heart melted, and not not wanting to ruin a perfect parenting moment, instead of smothering her with the huge snuggle I instantly craved, I took the candy, and wiped the chocolate off her fingers.
I think we'll keep her.
Anny of course wandered into the kitchen to see what was going on. When I explained what had happened, Anny looked at Merrylee shocked and said incredulously, "How did she open it?!!"
Anny has a bit of trouble opening candies, and even resorts to scissors on occasion. I responded simply that Merrylee doesn't seem to have those same challenges.
Here's a photo of the little sweetheart, expressing the latest fashions for toddlers. Looking at that little face, I wonder how we manage any sort of discipline at all.
