I Was Going to Repaint That Anyway

Well, a first for us today. Amidst a busy morning, Ford told me he needed to tell me something but did not want to say whatever it was he had to say in front of Miss Amelia. After church and lunch and nap...he finally remembered to tell me as we finished our dinner dishes.

"Did you see Amelia's dresser?"

"No, what about it?"

"She wrote all over it. I didn't see it happen and I'm not sure when she did it but I thought we should talk about it first before confronting her."

A bit shocked but thinking 'how bad could it be?' I put down my dishes and walk into the bedroom. Ford and Amelia followed.

No, it's wasn't just a few scribbles. She wrote on every drawer.

With a pen.

Calmly, I said. "Amelia, could you come here for a minute?"

She walked right over. I said, "what's on your dresser?"

She looked on top of it and saw a card from her Great Grandma and said, "a card."

Obviously oblivious.

"No, what's this on the drawers?"

"I wrote on my dresser," she said happily.

I reply calmly, "Yes, I see that. I need to tell you that it's not okay to write on the furniture. We only write on paper. Do you understand what Mommy is telling you?"

"Well, I was just writing my name."

(Ford and I both had to hold back smiles...already making a case for herself).

Again I repeat, "It's never okay to write on any furniture. We only write on paper."

She pipes in, "not couches, not dressers..." (Was she thinking of moving onto the couch next)?

"Right, did you use a pencil or a pen?"

"I used a pen, the white one."

Can you tell me why you did that?

"I was just writing my name." She scrunches up her nose. "But it's okay...but...I'm sorry, Mom."

"I accept your apology, Amelia. Now you are going to help mommy try to wash it off."

Ford got some rags and she willingly ran to the bathroom, to get hers wet and get some soap.

She rubbed and rubbed to no avail. "It's not coming, off," she huffed. "I just have to scrub harder." Oh brother, somehow I'm feeling kind of bad for her at this point.

We all scrubbed but alas, the pen remains.

I had a 'what was she thinking' kind of moment on this one. It clearly was not a malicious act. Just looked like fun...to write your name...in pen...on your dresser drawers...all of them. Because maybe she just couldn't find any paper and felt like being creative, or maybe did she just wanted to see what would happen, how we would react, or maybe that's not it at all...maybe writing your "name" on your dresser in pen is just a good time.

I'm pretty sure I'll never know.