Truth Be Told

Kids tell it like it is...This is what our Aunt Daphne said today when I told her that Nathan referred to her as "the one we haven't seen in a really long time" when we were talking about his aunts.

That is true, but it must be noted that they are telling it as they perceive it and often those perceptions have merit, but just need a little clarification. Sometimes we aren't sure exactly where those perceptions come from...

For example, yesterday at the grocery store, I had to park the cart to one side in order to grab some toilet paper from a blocked isle. I can probably count on one hand the number of times that Mommy and/or Daddy have had a beer in front of Hannah ("Not that there's anything wrong with that"--Seinfeld) and for obvious reasons it has been a really long time since I have had one. I can't remember the last time we bought beer and when Daddy does have one in front of Hannah it is usually not in a bottle. Apparently, Hannah does remember because after I parked the cart directly in front of the beer, she pointed right at the Heineken (could be coincidence, could be an amazing photographic long term memory) and said loudly, "That for Daddy! That for Daddy! That for Daddy!" (She tends to repeat things until she is acknowledged and if she is not acknowledged in a way that she approves, she repeats the statement even louder complete with tantrum). So despite the looks of disapproval and even some of pity--as if to say, "You poor woman out shopping with three little kids while your husband sits at home drinking beer all day", I mumbled something like, "Yeah, uh-huh, okay. Let's go get some ham". As if to say, "Yes, poor me, but despite my husband's drinking problem, we can still afford to eat".

Yesterday, while the kids were playing with our neighbors, Nathan told their mom that Daddy was gone and he isn't coming back this time. Thankfully our neighbor knows our situation and realized that was just his perception. This perception has merit and I realized just how much merit it has when Hannah made a very similar statement last night as we were going to bed. We were talking about Max which often happens after we say our goodnights because Nathan still includes Max in his "I love yous" before he goes to sleep. Hannah said, "Maxy go live with Memaw?" Me: "Yes". Hannah, "Maxy lives with Memaw and Daddy lives with Belgium". I suddenly realized I needed to explain some things...