Honestly!Today I was able to volunteer for an hour at the elementary school book fair. If you have never been to an elementary school book fair during the lunch hour, they are intense. So intense I was blasting my AC the entire way home, and it was 54 degrees outside. Of course it didn't help that I took the twins. I was hoping that they would last for an hour in their stroller with a PB&J sandwich, a bottle, and books. No such luck. The sandwich bought me about a minute, the bottle, 30 seconds, and the books, a whopping ten seconds. All three entertainment items ended up on the floor where masses of children trampled them. I am not exaggerating. It was complete chaos! Kids where pushing right and left. The woman running the register even started screaming at her daughter because the daughter was trying to talk to her while 50 thousand kids were waving money and books in the Mom's face. That's another story.
I was in charge of crowd control and helping kids find items they were looking for. As I was helping a group of kids with books (mind you I was also holding
Adley, who was trying to fling herself from my right arm by doing repeated back bends, and
Brecklyn, who was either hitting me in the face, or pulling children's hair, with her death grip, as they innocently passed by).
I started eavesdropping on a conversation between two young boys. The first was showing the second how to hold his eraser and walk out of the fair with it without being seen. I kept my eye on them as they continued to browse, and then push their way to the door. Of course I reached out and touched one of their shoulders (actually, I think
Brecklyn grabbed one of their shirts!) and gently reminded them that they could not leave without paying for the erasers. The first boy broke free and said "whatever" as he continued to push his way out the door encouraging the second to follow. I reminded them again, and while the second boy lagged a bit and was embarrassed at my accusation, the first glared right at me as if to say, "I'll do what I want" and then he disappeared out the door. The second boy stood in the crowd migrating toward the register and continued to look over and see if I was watching. When I finally was distracted and then looked back over he was gone, but I noticed his eraser had been put on the table beside me.
I can't stop thinking about this experience. Although stealing to me is a
HUGE, HUGE, HUGE thing, the part that bothers me most is the way the boy was so openly defiant and willing to carry it out even when an adult had caught him. I am still very troubled by the whole thing.
Of course I immediately came home and sat my children down. I wanted to review honesty with them. I began to tell the story and I barely got past the part where the boys were beginning to leave without paying and my Corbin gasped. I asked him what was wrong, and he said, "He was stealing!"
Kinzlee chimed in, "That is so bad." What a relief to know they understand such a basic but life determining principle. I hope they will remember when they are encouraged by their own friends to steal. Maybe
Brecklyn can teach them the death hair grip and
Adley can contribute a getaway plan.
That ought to make those thieving friends think twice.
