Every family has one...
You know the one that has to run and tell mommy or daddy every little thing that happened, when they were gone.
Well, in the Tiernan family, that responsibility has fallen to our little princess -- 6 year old Abigail. She is our self-appointed I-will-tell mommy everything even though "that everything" may not always be the most accurate, but usually is.
Why she has even convinced me to let her do something that mom told her not to do -- of course when mom is gone from the house -- and then told on me when mom got home.
She did it again and, of course, I fell for it. All she has to do is just roll those pretty princess-like eyes and I just can't say no.
The thing I allowed her to do was nothing big, but still a mommy "no-no" -- watch cartoons on Sunday morning.
Lisa and I pastor a church in Carterville. Lisa is the music director and usually leaves the house earlier than me and the children, giving us about two to three hours to pass the time.
Mom doesn't allow cartoon watching on Sunday mornings. Occasionally, though, I have given in, especially to the princess.
During a recent Sunday, my Abigail rolled those big blue eyes of hers and the next thing I knew Spongebob Squarepants was dancing across our television screen.
"Oh, daddy you are the best," my Abigail said.
Those words just always seem to have such an impact on my heart.
An hour had passed and the phone rang. It was my wife.
"How are things going?" she asked.
"Just great," I replied.
"Daddy is that mommy?" Abigail asked.
"Yes," I said.
"Can I talk to her?"
Before I could hand her the phone, she had already grabbed hold of it like a wrestler grabbing an opponent's neck.
"Mommy, daddy is letting us watch cartoons," she said.
Oh, my! I thought. She has done it again.
Handing me the phone with a big grin and a mischievous glow on her face, Abigail quickly turned her attention back to Spongebob.
"Are you letting the children watch cartoons?" asked my wife.
"No," I said.
Now, you may think I told a lie here. Actually, I didn't. My wife had asked if I was letting "the children" -- that's plural -- watch cartoons. Only one of the three children were actually watching cartoons.
"Is that Spongebob I hear in the background," my wife asked.
Now I had to tell the truth.
"Yes dear. He's dancing right in our living room."
"You've got the television on don't you?"
"Yes, dear...(there was no escaping that question).
"You know the rules on Sunday."
"Yes dear."
After hanging up, I turned my attention to the little snitch...er princess....
"Well, the television goes off."
NO, NO, NO!!! went the wailing. "You can't do this to me."
"I'm not doing it to you. You did it to yourself, when you told mommy."
"Give me the phone," she said, "I'm calling mommy."
"That's right. Let's call her and tell her how it was your idea and how you want to watch television right now."
There was a pause....
She realized what she had done -- cut her own nose off to despite her face.
"But daddy," she said rolling those beautiful princess eyes, "mommy doesn't have to know...."
"That's not working this time," I said. "But let's see what happens next week."
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Every family has one...
You know the one that has to run and tell mommy or daddy every little thing that happened, when they were gone.
Well, in the Tiernan family, that responsibility has fallen to our little princess -- 6 year old Abigail. She is our self-appointed I-will-tell mommy everything even though "that everything" may not always be the most accurate, but usually is.
Why she has even convinced me to let her do something that mom told her not to do -- of course when mom is gone from the house -- and then told on me when mom got home.
She did it again and, of course, I fell for it. All she has to do is just roll those pretty princess-like eyes and I just can't say no.
The thing I allowed her to do was nothing big, but still a mommy "no-no" -- watch cartoons on Sunday morning.
Lisa and I pastor a church in Carterville. Lisa is the music director and usually leaves the house earlier than me and the children, giving us about two to three hours to pass the time.
Mom doesn't allow cartoon watching on Sunday mornings. Occasionally, though, I have given in, especially to the princess.
During a recent Sunday, my Abigail rolled those big blue eyes of hers and the next thing I knew Spongebob Squarepants was dancing across our television screen.
"Oh, daddy you are the best," my Abigail said.
Those words just always seem to have such an impact on my heart.
An hour had passed and the phone rang. It was my wife.
"How are things going?" she asked.
"Just great," I replied.
"Daddy is that mommy?" Abigail asked.
"Yes," I said.
"Can I talk to her?"
Before I could hand her the phone, she had already grabbed hold of it like a wrestler grabbing an opponent's neck.
"Mommy, daddy is letting us watch cartoons," she said.
Oh, my! I thought. She has done it again.
Handing me the phone with a big grin and a mischievous glow on her face, Abigail quickly turned her attention back to Spongebob.
"Are you letting the children watch cartoons?" asked my wife.
"No," I said.
Now, you may think I told a lie here. Actually, I didn't. My wife had asked if I was letting "the children" -- that's plural -- watch cartoons. Only one of the three children were actually watching cartoons.
"Is that Spongebob I hear in the background," my wife asked.
Now I had to tell the truth.
"Yes dear. He's dancing right in our living room."
"You've got the television on don't you?"
"Yes, dear...(there was no escaping that question).
"You know the rules on Sunday."
"Yes dear."
After hanging up, I turned my attention to the little snitch...er princess....
"Well, the television goes off."
NO, NO, NO!!! went the wailing. "You can't do this to me."
"I'm not doing it to you. You did it to yourself, when you told mommy."
"Give me the phone," she said, "I'm calling mommy."
"That's right. Let's call her and tell her how it was your idea and how you want to watch television right now."
There was a pause....
She realized what she had done -- cut her own nose off to despite her face.
"But daddy," she said rolling those beautiful princess eyes, "mommy doesn't have to know...."
"That's not working this time," I said. "But let's see what happens next week."
