Confession is Good for the Soul

Oh, our sweet and spicy Ella.  We love her so.  Sometimes I think I could write a separate blog just for her.  She is so much like her mommy, it is a bit scary. Erik likes to remind me of that fact, especially at the peak of an Ella situation.

This last week, it was a big one for Miss Ella.  She took a trip to see Mr. Mullner (the principal), in regards to her steeling.

Let me back up a bit.   Monday evening she comes to me in tears.  She tells me she stole a brown crayon and she told her teacher it was hers.  Come to find out, she even de-wrappered the Rose-Art crayon so it would blend in with her Crayola set.  As you will see in her confession video, she returned the crayon, but the worst part for her was that she didn't tell the truth to her teacher.  I was very proud of her for telling me the truth and proud that she feels the need to make things right.  So, I got her a brown crayon to replace the one she lost and the saga is over, right?

Not so much!

The next day, I pick her up at the bus and again tears are flowing.  I can barely understand what she is trying to tell me.  Right when we walk in the door to the house I get a call from her teacher.  She clarifies to me what happened and so I get it.  Ella had not yet learned her lesson.  This day, she decided to step it up a notch.  She stole a play cell phone, a ring, and some money.  She was stuffing things into her backpack right before the end of the day and her teacher noticed.  She started crying and when her teacher asked her why this was going on she said, "I steal, and I don't know why I do it, I just do it."

Her teacher and I discussed the situation and we decided it would be best if Ella took a trip to see Mr. Mullner.

When I got off the phone, of course I went to sit down and talk with her.  She says, "Mom, I am glad I am going to Mr. Mullners, I deserve it, I am a steeler."  She then put herself in her room for the rest of the night.  We heard her talking to herself a lot that evening.

"I am the only kid in this family that has had to go to Mr. Mullners, but I deserve it."

"This is the one and only time I will ever see Mr. Mullner."

"I can't believe I am a steeler."

"I don't know why I did it, I am never doing that again."

The next day, she went to see Mr. Mullner first thing.  She had to apologize to the two girls she stole from and she got written up.   

She told me that she only cried a little on the way back to class, but that she wiped her tears so her teacher wouldn't see them.   She said she was brave and that she had learned her lesson.

Come to find out, after talking with my mom about this, she had this same issue as a child.  When things were missing they went to her room to look for them.  She turned out okay, so I am not worried.  If Ella turns into her Nana, I will be one proud mama.

I am very thankful that we are dealing with this issue on the Kindergarten level!

I set up the camera without her knowing it in my office before she gave her confession.