5 Finger Discount

Tuesday when I went to pick JC up from preschool she was waiting for me and holding a stuffed lion. Very similar to those crazy beanie babies we were all obsessed with in the 90's. I asked her where she got it because I know she didn't take it to school with her that day. We don't own anything like it. She told me that her friend Na-Na gave it to her. I didn't see any other kids with beanie toys that day as they were leaving. I asked her did it belong to Happy Times. She said no, it was from her friend. Ms. Mary Etta, the director of the preschool, was standing near by and I asked her if they were given out in class today. She didn't know and thought the lion may have come from a toy bin inside one of the classrooms. I told JC that we would need to leave it at preschool until Thursday and find out where it came from. Of course this upset JC and she cried the whole way home talking about her “little lion baby”. I was hoping it wasn't hers because the last thing we need at home is another stuffed bean toy! My kids never play with them and they clutter up the toy box. Later that night JC was talking about the lion again, but this time she told me it was from MyAsia, another little girl in her class. How strange! Already the lion has been given to her by two different little girls. I didn't mention it again and JC forgot about it until this morning on the way to preschool.

“Mommy, can you find out about my lion from Ms. Christie? And then I can have it back?”

Darn! I thought she would forget. Nope, not my JC. The little girl who remembers everything!

When I got to class I asked Ms. Christie about the lion and where it came from. She laughed and said “JC told me that you bought her that lion at the store.” She went on to say how JC was very adamant that the lion was hers and that it came from her Mommy.

How funny. First it was from Na-Na, then MyAsia and now I bought her that lion.

Well Ms. Christie tracked down the owner of the lion. It belongs to a little girl named Vivian who comes on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Opposite days that JC goes to preschool. She must have left it there on Monday and JC decided to claim it on Tuesday.

While I was talking to Ms. Christie about the lion JC (who was down in the floor playing with her friends) piped up and said “I was just pretending about that lion all day!”

Seems we have a little clepto on our hands. I called Andrew on the way home and told him about what happened. Miss JaneClaire is going to have a little sit-down with Daddy and Mommy tonight about taking things that don't belong to her and then making up stories. She knew that didn't belong to her and even admitted to pretending that it was hers.

I will tell you this. It was hard not to crack a smile when she looked up with her big pink bow in that blond hair and give me that sweet grin and say “I was just pretending about that lion all day!”

:)