The moment was a fleeting one, but the lesson learned has persevered.
And the lesson pretty much single-handedly destroyed what I'd spent years building up.
The message, conveyed to my 4yr old in less than a few seconds: Mommy can shove it.
In case you decide not to read the background story here, let me give you the Coles-notes version:
- last month, we met Winnipeg Jets' Blake Wheeler and Bryan Little.
What I neglected to mention in my original post about this public meet-and-greet was that Bryan Little, Jets #18, centre-extrodinaire, vandalized my property. And that reckless act led to yesterday's defacement and the excuse that accompanied it.
Jets lovers, don't hate, just stay with me here....
(I should mention this now: despite the tone of my post, I'm not AT ALL pissed off at Little - it's just fun to blame a kajillionaire for what truly was a sweet, innocent act that unpredictably led to the demise of my property!)
Like, BRAND new. Just cut the tags off that morning.
By the time us gals showed up, we were shuttled to the front of the line. Our hands were stamped, our donation to the shelter was made, and while trying to juggle our stuff around and pull out of our bags what we were going to get signed, Roo decided she would become concerned that the lady who stamped her hand had stamped TOO hard.
A true kerfuffle ensued! The line was moving quickly, people were getting processed and moved along like Big Macs at a McD's drive-thru during the lunch rush. While still attempting to manage everything, before we knew it, it was OUR turn. I was trying to get my phone out to snap a few pics (for posterity's sake and bragging rights), and, simultaneously, trying to convince Roo that she DIDN'T need to go back to the end of the line to get a NEW stamp on her hand. Before I knew it, we were up. Show time. Roo and I had been practicing her GO JETS GO! chant in the car all the way there, but instead of impressing the athletes with her adorable raving fan-ability, all she could do was complain to Bryan Little about the stamp on her hand!
Lemme say this: both guys were great. Patient, cordial, friendly - if there was any arrogance that accompanies fandom, they either suppressed it or lack it completely. I was quite impressed. So while I was getting my Jets t-shirt out for them to sign, and while Roo was nattering to Little about the stamp, he, in a very pleasant and kind manner, with a big ol' million watt smile, leaned across the table and said, "Do you want me to sign your jersey?"
Now I really should have that talk with my 4yr old about not always saying YES to questions that complete strangers ask her. But anyway, that's what she did.
And so that's what he did.
He leaned across the table, Sharpie in hand, and signed her jersey.
Of course, I don't mind. In fact, I'm glad one of us thought to get that done; however, in retrospect, what if I was saving that jersey to be autographed by someone else? (I wasn't...) But he just took it upon himself to put his Herbie Hancock, in permanent ink, on my daughter's clothing!
(Calm down, Jets fans, I jest - I love that Little did that! Again, if you can't poke fun at kajillionaires, who can you poke fun at?)
Fast forward to yesterday afternoon.
Things became awfully quiet when Roo was, only moments before, laughing it up with one of her games while I was in the kitchen unloading the dishwasher. When the silence was a bit too much to bear, I called out to her.
"Mommy! Come see what I did!" she responded, just bursting with excitement.
Never words you want to hear your 4 yr old say after they've been quiet for a while.
Followed her into the office and found this:
But instead, I hid that irresistible culprit of a permanent marker. And then I took the pic. (And then I turned my back to her and tried my hardest to NOT let her hear me laugh.)
I was sure I told her this when she first began colouring: paper. Only on paper. But I gave her the benefit of the doubt.
So then we sat down and talked about it.
"Now listen Pumpkin: markers, pens, crayons, pencil crayons, sharpies - all that stuff is JUST for paper, ok? Never use them on anything else, promise?"
Roo responded without hesitation: "Not even on clothes, Mommy?"
"Noooo, not on clothes at all, ever."
"But what about that man with the pen at the place where the puppies were and then he put his name on my shirt? He used marker on clothes, so I can use marker on clothes, too, right, Mommy?"
Sigh.
In my own personal battle with Little (again, because he's super sweet and crazy rich and ridiculously talented and my conflict is completely unwarranted but I'm curious to see how long this lasts), Bryan Little: 2, Me: 0.
SoundTracking: My Sweet Lord (George Harrison)
A true kerfuffle ensued! The line was moving quickly, people were getting processed and moved along like Big Macs at a McD's drive-thru during the lunch rush. While still attempting to manage everything, before we knew it, it was OUR turn. I was trying to get my phone out to snap a few pics (for posterity's sake and bragging rights), and, simultaneously, trying to convince Roo that she DIDN'T need to go back to the end of the line to get a NEW stamp on her hand. Before I knew it, we were up. Show time. Roo and I had been practicing her GO JETS GO! chant in the car all the way there, but instead of impressing the athletes with her adorable raving fan-ability, all she could do was complain to Bryan Little about the stamp on her hand!
Lemme say this: both guys were great. Patient, cordial, friendly - if there was any arrogance that accompanies fandom, they either suppressed it or lack it completely. I was quite impressed. So while I was getting my Jets t-shirt out for them to sign, and while Roo was nattering to Little about the stamp, he, in a very pleasant and kind manner, with a big ol' million watt smile, leaned across the table and said, "Do you want me to sign your jersey?"Now I really should have that talk with my 4yr old about not always saying YES to questions that complete strangers ask her. But anyway, that's what she did.
And so that's what he did.
He leaned across the table, Sharpie in hand, and signed her jersey.
Of course, I don't mind. In fact, I'm glad one of us thought to get that done; however, in retrospect, what if I was saving that jersey to be autographed by someone else? (I wasn't...) But he just took it upon himself to put his Herbie Hancock, in permanent ink, on my daughter's clothing!
(Calm down, Jets fans, I jest - I love that Little did that! Again, if you can't poke fun at kajillionaires, who can you poke fun at?)
Fast forward to yesterday afternoon.
Things became awfully quiet when Roo was, only moments before, laughing it up with one of her games while I was in the kitchen unloading the dishwasher. When the silence was a bit too much to bear, I called out to her.
"Mommy! Come see what I did!" she responded, just bursting with excitement.
Never words you want to hear your 4 yr old say after they've been quiet for a while.
Followed her into the office and found this:
My first instinct, oddly enough, was to laugh (NEVER let them see you even remotely smirk with this kinda stuff - that opens up a whole new world of unintentional hurt for your furniture, your walls, anything that could use the Roo touch!).
But instead, I hid that irresistible culprit of a permanent marker. And then I took the pic. (And then I turned my back to her and tried my hardest to NOT let her hear me laugh.)
I was sure I told her this when she first began colouring: paper. Only on paper. But I gave her the benefit of the doubt.
So then we sat down and talked about it.
"Now listen Pumpkin: markers, pens, crayons, pencil crayons, sharpies - all that stuff is JUST for paper, ok? Never use them on anything else, promise?"
Roo responded without hesitation: "Not even on clothes, Mommy?"
"Noooo, not on clothes at all, ever."
"But what about that man with the pen at the place where the puppies were and then he put his name on my shirt? He used marker on clothes, so I can use marker on clothes, too, right, Mommy?"
Sigh.
In my own personal battle with Little (again, because he's super sweet and crazy rich and ridiculously talented and my conflict is completely unwarranted but I'm curious to see how long this lasts), Bryan Little: 2, Me: 0.
SoundTracking: My Sweet Lord (George Harrison)
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