dunce cap.

I was tidying up the kitchen table after being inspired to do so by reading this blog post by my friend.

Listening to The Cure.

(Seriously – the iPod was on shuffle and before I knew what was happening I was singing along to “Pictures of You”.)

Seriously.

That’s true.

This whole post is true.

(all of my posts are true.)

This is what my life looks like.

I heard some cries from the girls’ bunk bed where they had been playing happily for over an hour.

It had been a beautiful thing that I knew could not last.

(The youngest boy was asleep in his crib.  The biggest boy was visiting his friend Colton – exhausting Emma, I am afraid.)

And so . . . back to the table and The Cure and the mess accumulated but cleaned up after inspiration.

(Isn’t it funny how our friends influence us in ways they may never know?  Thanks Shelley.  My family thanks you too.)

Anyway.

Back to the cries.

It was Piper Finnian.

She said her feelings were hurt.

The girls had all been playing School together.

“Why are your feelings hurt, Piper?”

In between sobs, Piper said, “London put a deuce cap on my doll.”

“A deuce cap?” I asked, already grinning at the faces of my three youngest daughters.

I decided now was, in fact, the perfect time to explain what the word “deuce” was slang for.

Everyone cracks up when Mommy says “poop”.

And poop on your head?

That’s hysterically funny – right?

Yep.  I know my audience.

London stopped laughing.  “Mom, she means a dunce cap.”

“Did you put a dunce cap on her doll?” I inquired.

She nodded.

“Do you think that hurt her feelings?”

Another nod.

“Okay – would you want to be treated that way?”

A head shake.

“Can you apologize to your sister?”

Apology offered.

“Alright – let’s take the dunce cap off.”

I cannot believe I am having to offer instructions about deuce/dunce caps on dolls.

“Where’s the dunce cap London?”  I asked her.

“Can you remove it from her doll now?”

London stared at me.  “Mom – it was pretend.”

What?

“Piper is crying because you put a pretend dunce cap on her doll?”

I looked at Piper.

Now she was laughing.

I just crawled out of the bunk bed and went back to work on that kitchen table.