Paper chain

There was this paper chain. In the kitchen. It was fairly long. Not anything impressive like military-deployment long (one of the reasons we waited to have kids). But still, it was far more days than we had ever been away from each other (beyond military life).

It was a count-down, and there was more than a week still left on the chain.



While we waited for the school bus I told one of the boys to rip a link off the chain.

He was sufficiently confused.

"Did we forget one?"

This is supposed to be an end-of-day activity.



Little Miss Destructo had no hesitation in breaking our own rule and ripping a few links off. Over the last nine days we had to re-tape several unauthorized removals back on. I have also had to extract one cat's tail from the door (pretty sure it, the tail - not the door, is broken), rescue a boy's formerly elaborate half-dismantled Lego creation, confiscate a broom (don't ask), and clean up the remains of 52 (yep, fifty two, I counted) over-ripe apples that were used as bouncy balls indoors... all courtesy of The Unstoppable Bean.


{the princess shirt kills me}

Then a fight broke out. Someone grabbed a link out of someone else's hand, or took one out of turn, or I really have no idea. You know, the usual. The princess was the one left crying, however, which is unusual.

It's hard to feel too sorry for her when she's usually the one wrecking everyth... well, nevermind.

"Boys. BOYS! What does it mean if the whole chain is gone!?"



1/160th of a blurry second, apparently, and they got it.

Daddy was coming home early!

From the surprises-don't-ever-go-over-so-well even if they're fantastic ones, I-don't-know-how-to-express-myself face...



to the really-Mom-you're-not-joking, wanting-to-believe, guarded smile...



Really?

Ummmm.... yes.



The only bad news was his surprise early return left me no time to borrow a donkey.

I guess there's always next time.