Hammered

Sometimes as a parent you feel like you are in a game of Clue. You are confronted with a situation and you have to figure how out how it was done and who did it with what weapon (or toy). This "who-dunnit" game to find out what happened can really be difficult sometimes because everyone wants to blame everyone else. You have to go to the crime scene and investigate and look for clues to help you solve the mystery. And...then there is my son Logan (4). Logan is a great kid (and my only boy), but he also tends to be a boy and thinks that he can push the limits with his sisters. He tends to see how hard he can hit them before they will cry? How much can he tease and chase them before the girls will come tell mom or dad? All of that good stuff about childhood. He is close to getting his P.H.D. in this subject.

This afternoon, Miranda (6) and Hannah (2) came to me holding their foreheads. Miranda told me that Logan had hit them in their foreheads with his toy hammer. Oh boy, time to go talk to Logan and have him put the hammer away and sit on his bed for awhile. I started back to his bedroom which was the scene of the crime and wondered how many pieces of the mystery would I have to find on my own, how many times Logan would deny the offense before he cracked, and the usual parent detective stuff. All of the sudden I hear Logan yell from his bedroom, "Dad! I put the hammer away and I am getting on my bed!" Am I that predictable? I am not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing. Anyway, mystery solved without any investigation - Logan - Hammer - Bedroom - Case closed (or, at least mostly closed).

Here is my favorite part. I went into Logan's room to talk to him about what he did and find out why he did it. This also is a common practice of mine. Logan has this habit of forgetting why he is in trouble, so I just want to make sure he remembers. The conversation went like this:

Me: Logan? Do you know why you are on your bed?

Logan: Yes, Daddy. I hit Miranda, Hannah, and Haylie (she was in a different room at the time, but I think he was covering all his bases) in the head with my hammer.

Me: That is correct. Why would you hit them with your hammer, Logan?

Logan: Ummmmm.....

Me: Logan, why?

Logan: Because I thought they were nails.

It took all of my inner strength to not laugh my head off at this point and I was not sure I could keep it in. I struggled through the next minute or so before I told him I would have to come back in a minute. Wow! That was a good laugh. I am not totally convinced he did not see them as nails in his mind. I think he has one of those minds like the lion in Madagascar that looks at the other animals and sees big steaks. I would love to walk around in his mind for a few miutes (just a few). He keeps us on our toes.