So there I was on hands and knees a few minutes ago, about to finish cleaning my baseboards in the foyer and kitchen. I had no sooner gotten to the next-to-the-last section
of the kitchen, feeling all accomplished and proud of myself and lovin' the fresh-clean smell and look of white-white trim...when it happened.
I stood up from the knee cushion to survey the territory. In so doing, I started to rest my forearm on the top shelf of the bookcase.
The shelf, I had forgotten, was missing one small piece: its fourth peg that holds the thing securely.
It's fine for lightweight things on display. Lightweight birthday presents.
Like a completely assembled by Joel-and-Dad, 1300-piece Lego aircraft carrier.
CRRRR--ASH! The "whole entire" thing--ruined! Or at least broken into 432 pieces all over the kitchen floor. Some pieces might even have gone down the heating vent. I can't bear to look.
Oh, dear, oh, dear! How DO you "break it" to your eight-year-old? There's no way I can rebuild it like it was. Not in an hour.
This is one of those times when "I'm sorry, will you please forgive me?" just doesn't seem like enough.
4 comments:
Awwww.
Here's how it resolved:
Just before leaving school, JOel slipped in the mud while playing with a little friend. Mud was all over him and he cried a little and asked to please go home. I took him home, but stayed in the car while he changed becuase I needed to go back out to the gas station and store. Ben was in the house.
When we got to the store I said, "JOel, when you went in the house, did you see something on the table?"
He said, "Yes. Ben broke my Lego thing." And then I said, "No, honey, Ben didn't. I did while I was cleaning--
His eyes got real big "-- and I'm so sorry. It was an accident, but will you please forgive me?"
I could hear a twinge of disappointment, naturally, when he said, "Yeah." I thanked him and then he brightened and said, "Now I can make something bigger! Will you help me build the Empire State Building?"
Oh, man, that's a great response! Why do I think a trip to the store for a big box of Legos is imminent?
Actually, I think the sweetest part of the whole story is how sad you were over breaking something special...not "just" a lego creation, but an item that meant a whole lot to Joel.
Thanks for the link...this one's a keeper, Zo.
Rats about the crash! But I love how Joel is "making lemonade" out of the disappointment!
Okay, not lemonade, but the Empire State Building!!
Post a Comment