A conversation with Kate - one to remember

Tonight Kate was not acting very nice and I told her she was going to have to sleep in her own room all night long (not a big punishment for the average kid, but a HUGE one for Kate). She of course lost it and through a total fit and then tried to rationalize with me on why she should sleep in our room.  She kept wanting to talk and reminded me to not interrupt her (which drive me even more crazy)...and it went on and on.  Basically, not a good 15 minutes.

Finally when she calmed down a bit I asked for her to explain to me why she was not nice and why she acted so mean.  She thought about it for a minute and then proceeded to tell the the following story for about 15-20 minutes.  I wish I had a tape recorder or video camera, because it was a classic and one I never want to forget.

It went something like this (with lots of repeating and dramatic pauses for crying - did I mention she is currently in a theater camp?)...kills me that I am missing a lot of the good parts:

"Mommy, I do not know why I act mean sometimes.  I just get mad.  It starts in my legs and works its way up.  I want to be nice and  try all the time.  I try to be nice all day and all night.  I tried to be nice tonight, but my legs wouldn't let me.

You know when you get that feeling in your legs and it creeps up and makes you so mad?  Well, that is what happens when I get mad.  It is not me mommy, it is my legs. I want to be nice, but sometimes my legs won't let me.  There must be something in my legs that make me mad.  I don't know magic or anything, so nothing must be in my legs...just bones.  Oh, why do my bones in my legs make me mad?  It is because of my legs that I get in trouble.

It is not me mommy.  I would be nice all the time if it was not for me legs."

Then she asked me:
"Mommy, do your legs every give you that feeling and make you mad and mean?

I said:
"I don't think that has ever happened to me"

Then she said:
"You mean I am the only person in the world that has legs like this?  (crying).  It is not fair.  I don't like that this only happens to me.  Why am I the only one?  (then I felt like I had to tell her that maybe other people have mad legs too....didn't want her to feel alone....heehee)

You see mommy, I am a nice girl.  It is my legs that are mean.  You can't really get mad at me. Get mad at my legs.

Can I sleep in your room now?"

CLASSIC!!  Needless to say, I was holding back the laughter during most of the conversation.  We ended it with talking about how the next time her legs make her mad and mean to find a special spot to relax and calm down until she was not mad anymore.  She said she would try, but that it would be hard.  She also hopes she remembers that because it is hard to remember everything I tell her.

I sure hope I don't forget this one!
Love,
Anne
xoxo
P.S.  She is asleep in her own room as we speak!