by Kristin Castle

Created on: September 03, 2010

Laptop Lesson Learned:

Ok, I think I’m finally ready to talk about it.  It’s been at least three months and while I can’t exactly look back at it and laugh yet, I can, at least, tell the tale without getting the blood boiling shakes and wanting to re-ground my daughter all over again. 

It was one of those early, beautiful summer like days when spending time outside is still a novelty after hibernating all winter.   So I couldn’t really blame her for wanting to lug MY laptop outside to play with at her brand new playground, complete with the perfect little table to set up post.  What was not yet complete, was the roof that was supposed to be over that little table.  It might have made all the difference, but we’ll never know. I’m chatting with my sister-in-law while our little ones are enjoying the new playground when I see my six year old round the corner carrying MY laptop.  I stop mid-sentence and give her my very best oh-no-you-didn’t stare, to which she responds, with her oh-yes-I-did smirk, “what? I’ll be careful.”  Famous last words.  It’s at least 4 p.m. by now which means I simply do not have the energy left for this battle, and she knows it (Ha ha, Mommy’s weak now). 

The next day:

Madeline: Mommy, did it rain last night?

Me: I’m not sure honey. Why?

Madeline: Well, remember yesterday when I brought your computer outside?

Me: What?

Madeline: Well, you were the last one in.

ME:  EXCUSE ME! GO GET MY COMPUTER! AND YOU BETTER HOPE IT DIDN’T RAIN LAST NIGHT!

(Please note here, that the all capital letters and multiple exclamation point rage did not kick in until AFTER she has passed the buck to ME!)

As she scurries outside (now well aware that she has said too much), I turn to look out my window to see if it did rain last night.  Of course it did.  And suddenly I recall waking up in the middle of the night to the soothing sound of rain on the rooftop, and thinking “how nice, we haven’t had rain in a long time.”

“What happened?  Did she leave her DS outside?”  I can’t even speak.  How do I tell Darren, the man who has been telling me for months not to let our six year old have such free reign on MY laptop, the laptop that HE bought me out of the kindness of his heart, that…I still can’t find the words. 

She returns and hands the computer over

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