Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Parental Miscalculation

M daughter A wakes up in the night screaming because of her bookshelf. She says it looks like a wolf that's coming toward her. She knows it's a bookshelf, but still reacts that way. Sometimes I drape a blanket over it. Here's what happened the other night.

A: Dad, the pink blanket fell off the bookshelf.

Me: I'll put this Tinkerbell blanket up now.

A: Maybe it will look like Captain Hook is coming after me!

Me: I don't think so. It's mostly blue.

Z (chiming in from her bed next to A's and not afraid at all, she just wants to make trouble): Now it will look like blue wolves coming after you.

A: There's no such thing as blue wolves.

Z: Maybe they fell into a can of paint. That would be funny.

(Concerned about how she is goading her sister, in a split second I miscalculate and say) Me: I'm sure that those blue wolves would go after Z first because she is laughing at them.

Z (her eyes widening in terror): But maybe they would understand I was laughing because it really was pretty funny.

Me: *Sigh.* Kids. There are no wolves in your bedroom. No blue wolves, no wolves of any kind.

Z: Now I'm scared, too.

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