Trampoline Tummy

Chloe is Brianna's little BFF. They are five, female, and fabulous, going on fifteen. Until...

Chloe runs into the room, crying. "Brianna jumped on me while I was laying on the floor, and it hurt me!"

Brianna comes in behind her, redfaced. "I didn't know it would hurt her. I'm sorry!"

I look at my daughter. "Would you like me to jump on you and see if it hurts?"

"No, " she wisely chooses.

"Why did you think it was okay to jump on your friend? You know we aren't allowed to act like that."

At this point, I'm embarrassed that my daughter would jump on her friend, and I'm a little shocked that my sweet little girl was in the other room jumping people. This really isn't typical behavior for her.

To which she replies, in front of Chloe's mom, with genuine consternation, "But Mom, it didn't hurt her the first time I jumped on her!"

It's one of the few times I've been speechless in my life. I found myself thinking, "So you were just going to keep on trying until you hurt somebody?" What do you say? She apologized, and was sent to time out, but the point remains: we have some character development to work on...mainly, saving the jumping for trampolines. And for those of you who have ever been embarrassed when your children do strange things in public, know that you are not alone. And by way of encouragement, it's probably not the last time something like this will happen... Oh bother. Pass the honey...er, chocolate.