So I might be a little cold, cruel and at times a bit negligent, but that has nothing to do with my parenting skills. Today i considered myself one of the "responsible" mothers; I relinquished the good husband from paternal duties while he went to work a side-job. Son at home-- check. I went to pick Magnolia up from karate (see? don't I sound like a normal mom?) and then off to the park for a run while the little darlings played to their hearts content. Sounds like I'm doing all right? 
So, I'm down to one of my last laps around the park when four of my kids' friends show up and everyone starts playing: Julian is with his new pseudo-sweetheart (not the girlfriend, he's saving himself for McKenzie- but more on that later), Magnolia is jumping and giggling about with her friend, and everyone is having a good time, save the mom sucking wind on the track. After my "final lap," I looked around to find Magnolia. No where. I started running (not just the slog jog, but really running) around the park, hoping that I could find her, or at least a license plate of a white van or something. Right before I ran to call 9-1-1, the gal that lives next to the park says, "Hey, Rose, I see her down the street!"
Apparently Magnolia felt entitled enough to go with her friend to her friend's house to get permission to play. Wrong game plan, babe. 
At least she was safe. 
But safety is just a side effect of over-protective neurosis! And there really is no guarantee that she would have been all right! When Magnolia came back to the park ( her BFF's mother close behind) I heaved the pent-up anxiety out of my lungs and ran to Magnolia.....Almost. 
I couldn't let her know how worried I was. I had to play it cool. And it was getting cool out there, so I excused myself from the park scene and ran the kiddos back home. 
"Magnolia, if you were me and I ran away, what would you do? "
"Idunno," came Magnolia timid response. 
"I you were going to punish your daughter, what would you do?" I asked.
"Ummmm......I'd scream really hard at her and yell a lot and maybe say some bad words 'till she cried and then let her watch TV." Magnolia was thinking she was getting out scott-free with her answer and began to manifest some premature tears. 
"Oh, no, babe. Not that easy." I told her what her punishment was. 
Magnolia looked at me.
"Mom, that's harsh." 
"Isn't it just?" 

* * *
Magnolia's Eulogy. (ver batem)


This is the storie for the fate of Magnolia. 
One day at the park Magnolia and her friend went 
to her friend's house without primission from her mom.
There were strand men in the neigborhood. Her friend
left her olown for a minite or two. 
Then she was gone. Those men has pulled the triger on her. 
The next minite her body was dumped in a close by lake. 
This is in momorial for a girl who didn't ask her mother for permishen. 



I think this punishment got through to her. Never did I think she would take it to the extreme, but I'm going to wager she won't run off without her imagination (or "permishen") again. 


PS- Thanks for reading, sorry I've been out to lunch. It's been a hellish semester at school. Twenty-one credits! Now off to write an annotated bibliography. 

Cheers!