Luke and the Chicken Thief

I know it's not nice to laugh at your kids when they are crying and upset. I know it's not kind to giggle when they're sad, and take pictures of their distress instead of comforting them. I know it makes me a bad mom.......

But I just couldn't help myself!

This is what happened: Our swamp cooler sits in our dining room window, which is pretty inconvenient, but it's the only place for it in the whole house. And I LOVE that dadgum swamp cooler, it absolutely saves us.

But Luke hates it. On this day he had come in from playing and needed some chicken nuggets (with ketchup, yuck!) to tide him over until dinner. He didn't want to eat them in the dining room where the swamp cooler was, so he came up with this little eating arrangement - my laundry basket and my lap desk. Kinda strange, but whatever. Anyway, he had just settled in to eat his 6 nuggets - he must always have 6, it's very important, crucial even to have six -

and then someone went and let a chicken thief into the house.



And his plate just happened to be exactly the right height for her to do a drive-by nugget swiping. And then there were 5....

And what was so funny about it to me was that he had himself trapped in this bizarre contraption and couldn't even defend himself or get away from the dastardly chicken thief.

The only option he had was to cry. Great big wretched tears. Which of course escalated when I started laughing and taking pictures. He didn't appreciate that AT ALL.

When I finally got control of myself and put my camera down, I asked him if he wanted me to turn off the cooler so he could eat at the table, like a normal human. But he didn't want to, and he didn't want 5 nuggets! Normally, I'm not very tolerant of demanding kids who want a certain cup or special fork, etc., but in this instance I was feeling a little guilty so I got him another piece of chicken.

And all was well.


But he wouldn't speak to Maddie for the rest of the day.

Now I ask you, who could stay mad at a face like this? She's so sweet and innocent! Or maybe she's just pleased with herself for pulling off a chicken heist....