Posting #9 - The Case of the Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwich

So the other day my wife tells me a story of our youngest, Jackson, and of the disappearing peanut butter and jelly sandwich. The story goes like this.

It was lunchtime and our kids were eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Jennifer had walked downstairs and only saw Devon & Shelby eating their lunch. When she inquired where Jackson was they informed her that Jackson had gone upstairs with his lunch. Now food, for the most part, is not allowed upstairs at our house; especially when the contents of this particular lunch can so easily get into the carpet. Jennifer had called upstairs for Jackson and was greeted with the response, “Yes, Mommy?” Jackson comes from the around the corner of his room to the top of the stairs, his hands behind his back. The following dialogue ensues:

Mommy: “Jackson, please come downstairs and finish your lunch.”

Jackson: “Mommy, I don’t have a sandwich up here.” (His hands were behind his back hiding the sandwich.)

Mommy: “Let me see your hands.”

Jackson: (Shuffling his hands behind his back and placing the sandwich in one hand and showing his empty hand.) “See Mommy, I don’t have a sandwich.”

Mommy: (Trying to contain her laughter.) “Jackson, let me see your other hand, please.”

Jackson: (Placing both hands behind his back, places the sandwich in his other hand, and holds out his other empty hand.) “See Mommy, I don’t have a sandwich. See?”

Mommy: (Trying even harder to contain her laughter.) “Jackson, please come downstairs and finish your lunch.”

Jackson comes downstairs thinking he has “fooled” Mommy. All the while, he is coming down the stairs with both hands behind his back and turns to face Jennifer so as not to divulge the sandwich cleverly hidden behind his back. Once he clears Jennifer, he turns to face her and walks backwards into the kitchen. Jennifer, by this time, has allowed herself to laugh aloud at the “cleverness” of our 4-year old. Moments later Jackson emerges from the kitchen with a mouth full of the peanut butter and jelly sandwich he tried valiantly to hide. He then holds out both of his hands, and with his mouth completely full of food, says, “See Mommy, I don’t have a sandwich!”

Case solved!