Parenting memories bring smiles

Parenting memories bring smiles

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Today, I am sharing with you a memory I captured when my boys were very young. I hope you will enjoy stepping back in time with me and that it will make you smile as it did for me.

 

The day was warm and the judge was getting cranky. He had yet another whiny case to hear. He pounded his gavel and called his court to order. The lawyers immediately started arguing about something. I think that they thought they should be judge. The judge, having heard enough, pounded his gavel and yelled, “Naughty Lala and Thani!” Flinging his gavel across the table, he ran to consult his mama.

“Me judge.” He hiccuped, tears streaming down his red face.

“There, there,” I said, trying to soothe the judge, who I felt was too young for such stressful procedures.

I demanded to know about the proceedings. Tyler, who claimed to be a policeman instead of a lawyer, said he didn’t think it was right that the judge was naked. I saw that he had a point. Isaac was racing around in his birthday suit.

Nathanial felt he should be the judge since he is the oldest and can read and write. Besides, he said Tyler was too busy chasing down speeders, one of which he was. I told them to play something where there wasn’t so much arguing and that if I had to intervene, they’d all end up doing time in their rooms.

Of course, they didn’t think that this was fair. It wasn’t their fault the judge was cranky and indecent.

Why, isn’t there a law about running around naked in public?

Just forget it, I advised, and go back to chasing speeders.

After Isaac was dressed, I decided to watch the policeman. He seemed rather reckless in his attempts to seize the speeder. I feared a bicycle collision so I had to call them in.

It was hot, I reasoned. Why didn’t they want to play something quiet?

Isaac ran to get his hammer, err, I mean, gavel. He planted himself on his little chair in front of his little table and called his court to order. He was also wearing his super hero outfit. This didn’t give him the supernatural powers he needed, however, to move his bench. I quickly realized that someone had filled the table with water and it was very heavy, not to mention it leaked.

“Who is responsible for this?” Nobody confessed.

They determined that nobody was going to get a fair trial since there wasn’t a confession. It doesn’t matter who carries the gavel or claims to be the judge in our house; Mama usually oversees the cases. She tries to judge fairly, and she always keeps her clothes on.

When Judge Isaac isn’t sitting on the bench handling his cases, he is busy being a super hero (a baby blanket is clipped over his shoulders with clothes pins). He sometimes doesn’t feel the need to wear clothes then either, but when you are three, I guess you have that option.

He just wishes he could have some power over the policeman and lawyer. They are always trying to coerce him. Mama has to grab the judge when things really get wild. It is a good thing that he’s little enough to carry under one arm yet.

Time in solitary confinement is always the best punishment to get this circus court in order. It’s a good thing we don’t have court every day. Of course, if everyone had to spend some time in his room, I might even have some peace in my jurisdiction. Of course, then I might be lacking for excitement. It’s always a toss-up, isn’t it?

6 Replies to “Parenting memories bring smiles”

  1. Oh, I love this, Michelle. It is simply delightful. It started my day off with a cheerful attitude. You are a very talented writer.

  2. When I started reading this I was wondering where this was going…and why you would have been in court. Great intro 🙂 That is a precious memory for sure. And the sad thing is that I doubt many people could find a child/siblings in today’s culture that would ever have that kind of imagination and play games like that. The world has changed so much since those boys were young, and definitely hasn’t changed for the better. And I just need to say, you were a GREAT MOM to have encouraged that kind of play and you taught your kids about the things that are really important.

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