There comes a time in every parent’s life when you realize you 
have to start being judicial with the words you use around your children.
It’s for their own good and for yours.
Because sometimes, you’re the one who accidentally plants a kudzu seed thought in their little mushy brains and as kudzu is want to do, that thought takes over their brain and there’s no way to kill it. <–That’s a metaphor or analogy or metonymy or simile or something.
The last time we went through Cara and Ollie’s toys and clothes was about a year ago so their rooms and closets were bursting at the seams. We told them we were making room for things they would get for their birthdays and Christmas and there were other kids who didn’t have any toys and nice clothes and both of them seemed content with that explanation.
Rooms were cleaned, toys and clothes were bagged and tagged and Tucker and I sat down after a long day.
It made both of us happy that the kids were playing quietly in Cara’s room. Every now and then, one or the other would venture into the living room to say, “Hi!” and we would ask them if they were being good babies and of course they were.
The kids were doing “their jobs” and seemed content.
After ten minutes of peace and quiet, Cara came into the living room to let us know they were done with their jobs and it was then I realized we had never asked them exactly what job they were doing.
We. Are. Idiots.
Cara’s response? “We’re making room for all the things we’ll get for our birthdays and at Christmas!”
She looked so damn joyful that at first, I figured they had gotten into her closet and had maybe shoved stuff in there and shut the door. But something in the back of my mind – something I had probably been nervous about for a while but hadn’t admitted – told me to tell Tucker to go check and see if they had pushed the screen out of the window.
Cara dissolved into hysterics apologizing and saying she was “so sorry” and various other things. I didn’t really hear her since Tucker and I kind of sprinted down the hallway.
Ollie was in the process of tossing something else out the second story window and I had to nab the truck before he could throw it into the bushes.
Tucker and I leaned out of the window and all we could do was laugh. The box shrubs were pushed down to form a bowl and every single toy in Cara’s room had been chucked out the window.
Tucker waded into the middle of it all and started throwing things back in from where they had come.
Our mission is now to get some window bar things so we can open the windows as it’s getting more pleasant and not have to worry about toys – or kids – being tossed to the ground.
Part of this was our fault what with the whole “making room” comment but really?! Out the freakin’ window!?
Toddler logic ain’t all it’s cracked up to be.
