That's my story

Eli has been quite the mess maker lately. He really enjoys playing dress up (it began with changing pajamas, now it's costumes) so they are all over his room during the day. He says things like, "Mom, don't go in my room and don't say those words." I guess he means that he doesn't want to hear me say, "Who made this mess? Elijah Caden! Come here!"

This morning, I came into the living room and found about 1/3 of the new box of Kleenex in two piles on the coffee table. So I say, "Who made this mess?"

Eli looks at me sheepishly. "I did it. I'm sorry, Mom. I won't do it again." Ah. He's a quick learner.

Me: "Eli, if you need a Kleenex, you must only take one out of the box. How many Kleenex can you take out of the box?"

Eli: "I didn't do it. Evan made that mess."

What? He IS a quick learner. We then have a conversation about truth and responsibility. He again admits to the mess and we pick it up together.

Fast forward about 2 hours. The boys are playing in Eli's room while I am showering (the ever-popular 10 a.m. shower). I walk in the room to check on them and make sure that no one has been decapitated while I took a guilt-laden-but-oh-so-quiet 20 minute shower. Evan is playing with a firetruck on the table. He's such a good baby. Eli is sitting in the middle of his closet surrounded by the puzzle pieces of 6 wooden puzzles. 6 puzzles with approximately 20 wooden pieces each. Quite a pile.

Eli (who is currently claiming purple to be his favorite color): "Hi, Mom. Can you find a purple block to go with these? I can't find it."

Me: "Who made this mess?"

Eli: "Oh, Evan did it. Yep. Evan did this mess. That's my story. Evan did it."

Me: "What? That's your story?"

Eli: "Uh-huh. Evan did all the puzzles on the floor. That's my story, Mom."

I quietly begin sorting the puzzle pieces, unsure of how to say ANYTHING without screaming about honesty and integrity and responsibility and truth and lying and blame and sin and LYING. It takes him about 7 seconds to change his story.

Eli: "I did it, Mom. I'm sorry."

Whew. This parenting thing is exhausting. And we've only just begun!