Your Logic Is Impeccable

Dear Laney,

Here's the trick to the Carousel: On days when it closes at 5:30p, the key is to arrive at 5 on the dot. Parking becomes free, and since the carousel starts a new ride about every seven minutes, the maximum number of times I'll have get to ride it is 4. Then, the ride operator will announce it's the last ride, and I can innocently shrug my shoulders and say, "It's closing!"

Genius.

Well, here's how that "genius" came back to bite me on the butt: A few evenings ago, you put on nothing but a life jacket and some river shoes and went out into the front yard demanding, "Let's go to tha river." "Laney, we can't go the river right now." "Why not?" you demanded. "It's not closing."

It's a lot harder to say no when the real reason is, "'Cause I don't wanna."

Then, two nights ago, you got up from the dinner table and told me you wanted to play outside. In the rain. "No." "Whyyyy?" And honestly, I couldn't think of a good reason why not. Saying, "I don't know... It's just one of those things you're not supposed to do," isn't the kind of thing that flies with a two year-old. No thunder, no lightening, not that cold out. Hell, I don't know why not. So go.

"Is not a bumbella. Is a trumpet."

Of course, I took these photos through the windows on our french doors. No way was I going to go out there. I may be permissive, but I'm not crazy.

Love,
Mom