John the thief

John was a manipulative little thief today. Just being honest. As much as I love my spunky kid, the boy with a bit too much personality sometimes, I have to admit that he was both a thief and a liar today.

Here's the story. Scott left some money on the kitchen counter this morning as we were all downstairs getting ready for the day. The money was for our cleaning ladies as they were coming to our house today. Scott left the house first with the children as it was his day for drop-off and I went upstairs to shower as I had just returned home from the gym.

When I went downstairs to get coffee and make final plans for the day, I realized that the money was not on the counter. I looked all over for it, including on the floor, random places like the junk drawer, and finally gave up and called Scott to ask him if he had removed it from the counter. I was going nuts looking for something valuable that had just been there 20 minutes before. Of course Scott didn't know where the money was - he was still in the car driving to work after having just dropped off Amelia and John after all - so I panicked and ran out to the ATM to get replacement cash. I figured out that the original money would turn up eventually, and rather than be super late for work I decided to replace the bills.

After I returned home from the bank I noticed that Scott had sent me a text message. It read, "Check John's money bank. I suspect he took it." I thought to myself, no way, John's not old enough to want to take money yet. But I went to his money bank anyway and sure enough, tucked in with a few ones and loose change was our cleaning money. Sitting there plain as day. Even though I was relieved that I had found it, I'm sure my mouth fell open in shock. Scott later told me that he was suspicious it was John because this past Sunday at church after Scott had given John a dollar to drop in the collection plate, John had refused to put it in the basket, declaring that he wanted to keep the money for himself. I have never seen John act this way personally but now I can believe it.

So here's how the confrontation played out on the car tonight after I picked up John from school.

Me: "John, I want to ask you about something. Daddy left some money on the kitchen counter this morning. The money was for the ladies who come to clean our house. The money was missing this morning before I left for work and I am wondering if you know where the money is."

John: "I have no idea where the money is."

Me (staying calm, though completely amazed that the little stinker lied outright to me): "John, I am not mad at you. I just want to know if you saw the money or if you can tell me where it is. I am not angry. It's just that that money didn't belong to us - it belonged to the ladies who work hard at our house - and now it is missing and I cannot pay them for their work."

John: "Mom, I do not know where the money is."

I gave him one last try, all the while looking frantically in the rearview mirror trying to see his expression. And then Amelia piped in declaring something along the lines of "I saw John with the money and I told him to put it back but he didn't listen to me." Amelia's statement finally got him to admit his guilt.

Me: "John, when I couldn't find the money I went looking for it. And one place I thought to look was yoyur money bank. When I opened your money bank, the cleaning money was inside, so would you like to tell me how our money got inside your bank?"

John (big sigh): "Mom, I'm sorry, but I took the money."

We discussed the matter for awhile longer because I wanted the message to be that we don't take things that do not belong to us. Plus we don't lie in the first place when asked about something, but I am not sure that part came through very clearly. When I finally got a good look in the rearview mirror, that little stinker was smiling broadly while at the same time sounding passive and declaring, "But mommy, I am so sorry."