The day Sharpie came to visit our dining room table started off friendly enough. His brilliant green color was used ever so purposefully to make that pilgrim have the ripest corn ever. Then when Ma is brought in to see the bountiful harvest her eyes quickly see not only a masterpiece, they also see ugly marks on her dining room table.
Ma being ever so graceful and forgiving, said "Oh dear whatever shall we do? There are permanent marker scribbles all over my lovely dining room table. No need to fret, for love is all we need and who cares that you disobeyed and used the markers you have been specifically told not to use. Let us make haste and see if we can resolve the trouble, darling." The sweet little child runs off to clean her room without another word.
Wait ... that doesn't sound believable? Would you believe this instead?
Ma being pretty ticked that for the second time in a week someone has climbed to get the permanent markers and left not only purple streaks but now green has had it. "Why don't you listen? Why did you do this? I do love your picture but you know you aren't allowed to use those markers and I don't think its going to come off the table. I understand accidents but this is a product of disobedience. Not only do you have green marker all over my table but you also have it on your forehead and all over your hands and you have pictures this afternoon. No, you may not have Polly Pockets now. Go to your room until I can figure out what to do." The broken child sits in the floor and cries. The mother cries (because she realizes she is a jerk for being upset about marker on the table) as she searches Swagbucks for an answer to 'how to remove permanent marker from finished wood.'
Sadly, the second version of this story is much more accurate. Maybe a little louder.
The moral of this story? Toothpaste and baby wipes. It really works. Not only did the fresh(er) green permanent marker come right off the table but so did the week old purple permanent marker.
Oh, and the bigger picture? I asked for her forgiveness. I should be more careful with my words and with my tone. She forgave me as we cleaned the permanent marker off her forehead (again with a baby wipe, no toothpaste). Oh, and I forgave her, too.
2 comments:
That is great to know!! Toothpaste and baby wipes--who would have thought?
And sadly, truthfully, we have all been there and yelled at our kids a little too strongly and loudly and made them cry and then felt terrible. You are not alone.
i'm so gonna try it! thanks.
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