Kit and Doc started day camp this week. Yesterday was a field trip to a theme park, which is about 2 hours away. I read the camp's weekly newsletter carefully so they would have everything they needed for the trip. Two things were highlighted: 1. No backpacks allowed, but they could take lunch in an open bag. and 2. No electronics allowed on the bus. They would have activities for the bus ride.
Doc uses a backpack. Kit uses a tote bag. Okay, that's easy. Kit can take his lunch in his own bag. Doc would need a tote-style bag. Doc was very agreeable to the alternative I chose for him. When I explained to Kit he could take his own tote bag for his lunch, something got lost in the translation:
Kit: I can't take that because I can't take a backpack
Me: But your bag isn't a backpack. It's a tote bag. You can use it.
Kit: You said yourself...it's written on the newsletter that we can't have backpacks so I won't be able to use my own bag. I need a different one.
Me: But your bag IS different from a backpack. You can take you own bag.
Kit: Why are you giving me a hard time? I know what kind of bag I can should use and that's not it.
Me: But I'm not giving you a hard time. I'm just trying to explain to you that....
I stopped. Either he was being deliberately thick, or I was way off the mark with my explanation. Kit went over to the cabinet and pulled out a plastic grocery bag.
Kit: If you're not going to give me a bag, I guess I'll just use one of these.
Doc came over to get his tote bag and I helped him put it over his shoulder.
Kit: Well if he can use that bag, why can't I use MY OWN bag?? It's the same style!
I felt like the coyote that just got slammed by the roadrunner and never saw it coming. Isn't that what I originally said? My brain froze. I took a sip of coffee then transferred Kit's lunch to HIS OWN tote bag and off they went.
I didn't see the kids last night before they went to bed, as it was their dad's day off.
Bright and early this morning, Kit walked up to me. No good morning Grammo, lovely day isn't it?
Kit: Boy were you wrong. We could take our backpacks and leave them on the bus. We just couldn't take them into the park. I don't know how you got that wrong. It said so in the newsletter. Didn't you read the newsletter? All we had were stupid tote bags. AND they didn't provide us with any entertainment on the bus, not even paper and pencil and it took forever to get there and...
Me: Even if that's true, Kit, you don't have a backpack, and all I was trying to do was explain...
I stopped. I could see the roadrunner in the distance. Time to cut my losses before sustaining another direct hit.
Me: Oh dear, did I read that wrong? It looks as though you survived anyway, Kit, even without your BACKPACK. Did you have a good time?
Kit: But I don't have a backpack...
Oops. He stopped.
There was a faint beep-beep in my ear and a rush of wind in my hair as the roadrunner zoomed past. I turned just in time to see his tail feathers in the distance.
The coyote lives to fight another day.
Tish
Doc uses a backpack. Kit uses a tote bag. Okay, that's easy. Kit can take his lunch in his own bag. Doc would need a tote-style bag. Doc was very agreeable to the alternative I chose for him. When I explained to Kit he could take his own tote bag for his lunch, something got lost in the translation:
Kit: I can't take that because I can't take a backpack
Me: But your bag isn't a backpack. It's a tote bag. You can use it.
Kit: You said yourself...it's written on the newsletter that we can't have backpacks so I won't be able to use my own bag. I need a different one.
Me: But your bag IS different from a backpack. You can take you own bag.
Kit: Why are you giving me a hard time? I know what kind of bag I can should use and that's not it.
Me: But I'm not giving you a hard time. I'm just trying to explain to you that....
I stopped. Either he was being deliberately thick, or I was way off the mark with my explanation. Kit went over to the cabinet and pulled out a plastic grocery bag.
Kit: If you're not going to give me a bag, I guess I'll just use one of these.
Doc came over to get his tote bag and I helped him put it over his shoulder.
Kit: Well if he can use that bag, why can't I use MY OWN bag?? It's the same style!
I felt like the coyote that just got slammed by the roadrunner and never saw it coming. Isn't that what I originally said? My brain froze. I took a sip of coffee then transferred Kit's lunch to HIS OWN tote bag and off they went.
I didn't see the kids last night before they went to bed, as it was their dad's day off.
Bright and early this morning, Kit walked up to me. No good morning Grammo, lovely day isn't it?
Kit: Boy were you wrong. We could take our backpacks and leave them on the bus. We just couldn't take them into the park. I don't know how you got that wrong. It said so in the newsletter. Didn't you read the newsletter? All we had were stupid tote bags. AND they didn't provide us with any entertainment on the bus, not even paper and pencil and it took forever to get there and...
Me: Even if that's true, Kit, you don't have a backpack, and all I was trying to do was explain...
I stopped. I could see the roadrunner in the distance. Time to cut my losses before sustaining another direct hit.
Me: Oh dear, did I read that wrong? It looks as though you survived anyway, Kit, even without your BACKPACK. Did you have a good time?
Kit: But I don't have a backpack...
Oops. He stopped.
There was a faint beep-beep in my ear and a rush of wind in my hair as the roadrunner zoomed past. I turned just in time to see his tail feathers in the distance.
The coyote lives to fight another day.
Tish