A little bit of naughty, a little bit of nice

So two experiences.

First, Amalia, we have discovered, is allergic to peanuts.

At the mall yesterday, I had all 3 kids in the triple stroller. We walked around a bit before I let the kids loose to play on the big tree playground, as is our custom, and to keep them occupied I usually give them a bag of treats. Yesterday's treats consisted of peanuts, cashews, carob chips, and some cheerios. Amalia has recently begun eating and we have given her cheerios a few times. The kids have caught on to this and so they really enjoy feeding her cheerios, one at a time. Like a baby bird, she opens her mouth wide, eager to feast, quickly followed by gleeful smiles and giggles. She's so easy to please, and I think this is part of the fun for the boys.

So back to the stroller part, I stop to check on the kids and notice that Amalia has a smile from ear to ear, her large cheeks moving up and down, as if she is eating something. But wait, that can't be, I think, because I haven't given her anything. Asher proudly points out, "Look she's happy." "Yes...she is Asher." I do a quick swipe of the mouth, as only a mom trained in such things can. Yup, a peanut. Thinking nothing of it, I threw it away. I should have taken the bag away from Asher because later I swiped a cashew from her, and then later a carob chip, which she managed somehow to cover all over her face. But she was so happy and content: round cheeks covered with smears of dissolved carob (very similar to chocolate for those of you who don't know what that is), smiling and gurgling.

A few hours later though, she was not so happy, as her thighs and arms were covered in a mild case of hives. The most logical conclusion: there will be no peanuts or peanut butter for this child for the foreseeable future. If she broke out in hives from just having a peanut in her mouth, well who knows how bad it could be if she actually consumes the stuff. Makes me a little sad because my kids live on peanut butter. It's sort of the saving grace of our days. What's easier than a peanut butter and jelly sandwich?

Second story.

Hyrum was caught shoplifting today. At Good Earth. One candy from the bulk bins, no big deal. Well I caught him and wanted to make sure he learned a lesson. You have to catch these vices in the bud, right? I didn't think it would be that big of a deal for him to apologize to the nice lady who worked there and was helping me out. I couldn't believe how terrified he became. He wanted to hide, so he ran and buried his face in my pant legs.

The only way I could get him to confess and apologize to the lady was by telling him that if he didn't the police would have to come and get him (a bit much??). That perked him right up and through near tears, he said sorry and promised he would never take candy again without paying.

I had mixed feelings about the whole thing: on one hand I felt like I psychologically abused my child in someway, on the other hand, quite pleased that he had ponied up a confession and seemed truly contrite about the whole thing. One things for sure, next time we go there, he's not going to even LOOK at the candy. As they say, all's well that ends well.