One more thing

I don't know why I didn't include this in yesterday's blog about Donald. This has always been one of my favorite Donald stories.

First of all though, in my defense of Donald's comments on my last blog. He was five at the time he taught himself to ride a bike. I was thinking he was that young when I was writing it but I thought, "I wouldn't have let him go that far away on his own at five". Well of course I hadn't. That little brat was over there without my permission or knowledge. Sorry Son.

Okay, this story happened when he was eight. I was pregnant with Shawn and in kind of bad shape. Don had to run a few errands and I made him take Heidi and Kelly with him so I could go lay down. We couldn't find Donald, he was out playing somewhere but it was okay because he didn't really need my supervision. So here is the scenario, I'm upstairs laying down. Don is off running errands with Heidi and Kelly. Donald was nowhere in sight.

After about twenty minutes who should I hear come in the front door but my wayward oldest child.

He started yelling MOM, DAD, MOM, DAD. Now I'm not really sure why I didn't answer him. I think I was suddenly infected with some kind of morbid curiosity to see what he would do if he thought he was home alone. I had from time to time suspected him of various naughtinesses commited when no one was around. So I decided to see what he would do.

After a few more MOM and DAD's with a few WHERE ARE YOU GUYS? And at least one ISN'T ANYBODY HOME? thrown in for good measure. It finally sunk in that no one was home. I waited as quietly as I could to see what would come next. The next thing I heard was so unexpected, it took a few seconds for it to register. After a few seconds of silence, I heard him suddenly yell out as loudly as possible. . .


YIPEEEEEE! ! ! !


Yipee? I honestly don't think I have ever heard someone actually yell, Yipee!!

Now as amused as I suddenly was I was also a little disconcerted at the thought that my little boy wasn't at all upset to find himself all alone at home.

He was not only, not upset, he was also obviously looking at it as a wonderfully unexpected, opportunity. He was definatly up to something because I heard him making all kinds of rummaging noises in the kitchen. I was getting really curious as to what he was getting into when all of a sudden, I heard the Popcorn Popper start up.

It was one of those (at the time, newfangled) hot air popcorn poppers.

Donald knew that he was not supposed to be making popcorn without permission.

I decided that enough was enough and I needed to put a stop to this flagrant disobedience. I crept down the stairs as quietly as I could which really wasn't neccesary because Donald was just at that moment realizing that you had to put a bowl in front of the popper.

Popcorn was shooting everywhere.

He was starting to realize that maybe he should have thought this latest little stunt through a bit more clearly. I don't know if he was trying to turn it off or find a bowl for all that shooting popcorn, but he was definatly not aware of me sneaking up on him.

He decided to go the bowl route.

Now he was catching the shooting popcorn and scooping up the stuff that was all over the counter, when I jumped up at him and yelled,


DONALD WHAT ARE YOU DOING ? ! ?


Oh man, I WISH I had a picture of his face. He was so startled he threw the bowl of popcorn in the air and then immediatly had the nerve to start screaming at me for scaring him.

Donald's best defense has always been a strong offense

Of course it didn't take him long to realize that he might just be in trouble. I gave him a smallish lecture on being responsible and told him he better not use the popcorn popper anymore without permission or supervision.


You know I think about it now and I'm not quite sure why he wasn't allowed to use it. After all this was a kid who could navigate the TV at eighteen months and the stereo at two. I guess sometimes first time parents just don't make sense.