My Rule Follower...

has broken the rules...okay, she has broken the law...yesterday was a very traumatic experience for all of us! We had run in Wal-mart for just a few items and Brenly wanted me to lay a blanket in the cart so that her and Avery could sit together. We went around and picked up the few things that we needed and headed to the check out line. They were sittin in the cart and so I just placed all the bags around them and headed to the car. I turned it on, rolled down the windows, buckled Avery in and went to take Brenly out of the cart and she was curled up in a ball with her knees up to her chest...hiding something bright blue. I looked at her and asked what she had and she immediately started crying saying that she needed to go home. I looked in her hands and she had "swiped" a 75 cent Hannah Montana candy box. And she was devastated because she knew what she had done was wrong. I explained to her that she had stolen the box and it was necessary for us to go back into Wal-mart and apologize and tell them that we would never steal again. She kept screaming that she needed her daddy and needed to go home. I proceed to turn off the car, roll up the windows, get Avery out of the car and back into the cart again...all the while Brenly is bawling. We go back into the store and a little old lady was standing behind the customer service desk and I explain to her that Brenly had taken the box and we were coming back to apologize and pay for it! Brenly was STILL crying hysterically, so after a minute or two I asked the lady if we could have a moment...I took her away from the lady and told her that she WOULD look the woman in the eye, she would say I'm sorry, loud enough for the woman to hear and IF she didn't she would get the biggest spankin of her life in front of everybody. I asked her is she was ready to be a big girl, she nodded yes, and I walked back to the customer service desk and Brenly looked at her and said I'm sorry (it took her about a minute to get I'm sorry out, through all of the tears) The woman then looked at me and said, "I am very proud of you for doing this...That is what every great mother would do, and I guarantee that she won't ever do again." I started tearin up because I know how traumatized she was. But I knew that if I didn't stop it now, we would have a kleptomaniac on our hands. I pay for the rinky dink little Hannah Montana box and get them both in the car. I made Brenly look at me and I told her that I was very proud of her for being brave and apologizing to the woman (She has a hard time saying I'm sorry to anyone, much less a stranger) so we drive home and we are sitting in the driveway and she asks if we can wash my car (I had promised her earlier in the day that we could play outside) and I told her that first we had to talk to daddy about what had happened! And she broke down into hysterics again and said that she couldn't go in...I went in and prefaced the story to Ray and he said, "our Walmart" I laughed to myself and thought, "yes, can't you see in now in the local Bolivar Bulletin (or whatever it is called) Daughter of County Wildlife Officer caught red handed" He then went out and "had a talk" with her! Remember when your parents used to say, 'This really hurts me worse than it hurts you". I used to HATE that statement just because I really couldn't fathom it...UNTIL yesterday, It hurt my heart that I had to MAKE her do something that completely uncomfortable for her, so that she may learn a lesson! So were both traumatized by it, however I can honestly say, I don't think that she will ever do that again!
AND then I recall my story of the first time that I ever swiped something...I was in first grade and we were at Big Star on Quince and I took 3 pieces of 5 cent gum..I ate the first piece before we got to the car and mom asked where I got the gum...I immediately, without hesitation said, "Mrs. Hammons (my teacher) gave it to me" Mom relpied, "Do I need to call her" I said, "NO you can't do that!" Mom made me spit my gum in my hands, snatched me out of the car and I had to go inside and tell them that I had stolen it! And I remember like it was yesterday...So I am hoping that Brenly was traumatized just enough to NEVER want to do that again!