Geeky Talks
Maybe we will have adjacent jail cells
I’ve been trying to teach LB not to steal things. There is a fine line between looking at something and being tackled by security guards. The line is called THE DOOR and this concept is lost on my two year old.
LB loves to manhandle things. Toys. Books. Radios. Glasses. Still, at over two now, she has the grip of a Banshy and yells, “MINE MINE!” and strikes out for whatever fancies her attention at the time. More than once, this has been another buddy at the Paul Frank store. Buddy, I can understand, but a woman’s thong? Lotion? A watch? Seems my little kleptomaniac progressed up the money scale and will probably be heading right for the big jewels or important paintings next. I thought it was time to stop the inevitable.
I’ve been explaining to LB how we can look and not touch. Or how when we decide to pick it up and look, we need to put it back. She’s getting better. The trains in Borders (mostly) tend to stay on the table when she’s done playing and the books (almost) always get put back. Luckily I’ve caught all items before she actually smuggled them out the door.
It shouldn’t shock me, then, when we went to our friend’s house last week that she attached herself to a purple letter “O”. The kid loves the letter “O”. Also? “X” is a top fave. (Think tick-tac-toe at the park and you’ll see why she insists on having the “X” and “O”.) She carried around the purple “O” the entire visit. At last it was time to go and I reiterated the “put away everything you got out” rule that applies everywhere we go. I continued to talk while shoving things back in our bag and telling LB to “go put that back, Sweetie.” At some point, LB must’ve handed me the purple “O” when I told her to go put it back. I was unaware of the exchange. Apparently, I slapped it in the bag along with all our other crap.
The ironic part about is that our friend, the one whom my daughter and I just stole a purple “O” from, would actually MAIL us a bib if we left it there. She would make a special trip to hand us SOAP (this really happened once) if we forgot it in the shower. She would not let one thing be left behind on accident and I’m sure she’d mail something she and her son accidentally took as theirs.
The thing is? I can’t remember to mail my Christmas Cards, let alone a purple “O”. We still have toys from playgroup people left when she was six months old and a block from a friend we went walking with once a week a long while back. We no longer see these people and I completely forgot to give them back their stuff when we did see them. So the reality is, I think we stole a purple “O” among many other toys throughout the Northwest.
I am such a great role model.
Dec, 20, 2006 Filed in: The Flinger Family •Social Clutz Loveable Spaz •Mrs. Flinger Said So • Read the Archives 
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I still have an infant sock and a teething toy left at my house during my wedding weekend. That was almost 6 years ago!
Just don’t let LB know mommy stole something!
Once, when I was tiny, I wanted gum, and so when my mom wasn’t looking I took a pack from the grocery store shelf, opened it, and put a couple of pieces in my mouth. When she turned around and saw what I had done, she made me spit out the gum, give her the pack and then made me hand over the money for the gum, giving me the worst lecture ever the entire time. Ever since then I am scared to death of accidentally taking something that’s not mine, and when my friends wanted to shop lift, I’d be outside crying. To say she put some fear in me about stealing would be an understatement, but I think taking things is a phase all kids go through.
She nows how to make you an accomplice!(spelling)?
We still have a movie my hubby borrowed from someone oh, 9+ years ago. He couldn’t remember WHO he borrowed it from, so couldn’t return it. Whoever it was probably thinks he stole it. Oops.
I have found over the years that my son has “mysteriously” come to own toys that I nor my mom or boyfriend remember buying. No clue where they come from, but they “magically” appear. LoL Makes me wonder if all kids go through the klepto phase at some point? :/
My rule is if I forget to mention it or give soemthing back and the person doesn’t mention it after 3 months, it becomes mine (to keep, toss or give to the Salvation Army).
I steal from my relatives on a daily basis. It’s all good.
One day, after paying for a cartload of things and leaving the store, I discovered my daughter had something in her hand I hadn’t paid for… it was only worth about $1.00, but my conscience couldn’t abide not going back in to pay for it. So I went back, paid the $1.00, only to come out and find I’d locked my keys in the car. Three hours and $50 later, I was able to get a locksmith to open my car so we could go home after having missed all the appointments I’d scheduled for that day. Who ever said it pays to be honest?
Perhaps, LB likes the O and X because she likes hugs and kisses.
Both of mine are total thieves, and partner up (he hands her the candy, she pockets it, I figure it out later) if that’s any consolation. I love that yours has “favorite” letters.