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October 4, 2005
Free. As in Beer.
I was reading an entry at Michael Gorey's Blog when I was reminded of when it was I realized the boys had the upper hand.
We were at Sears buying tires. Actually, we were responding to a recall. At one point I had purchased two tires -- one blew and the pair were replaced. As it happens the tire that blew would eventually be under recall ... as it further happens, the tires that were purchased to replace the blown tire and the other tire (that we replaced for fun? I think it was suggested to my wife that she replace both) were part of the same recall. So, I had purchased 4 bad tires that were being addressed.
Sears was going to reimburse me for the second set of tires and replace the first set of tires. That is, I was getting cash back for a set of tires and two free tires. (When all is said and done I would eventually have two good tires -- which is what I'd paid for originally.)
I was holding Samson, I don't even know if he was of toddler age yet, and Jack and Haydn were bouncing around the Auto Center. If Samson was about one, then Jack was about three and Haydn was about four.
Samson was screaming the whole time the sales guy and I were going over what was going to happen to the mini van -- two new free tires and money back for the other bad set I purchased -- while Jack and Haydn refused to stand still.
At one point -- and this is when I knew I was screwed -- Haydn and Jack had taken off running from me. As I cornered them -- with Sam the giant child on my hip -- Haydn looked at Jack and, while pointing, said, "No Jack ... you run that way."
They had figured it out. I couldn't be in two places at the same time. This was the beginning of the end.
The story has a happy ending.
The boys and I went to dinner. As we walked back to Sears I noticed that the mini van appeared to have four new tires. Or had they put both new tires on the same side of the vehicle? I looked all around the van. There were four new tires.
I went to the sales guy and told him I thought there must be a mistake. He checked the paperwork and nodded in agreement. I had four new tires and should have only had two put on. He looked at Jack, Haydn, the Screamer and then me and said, "It's our mistake. The old tires have already been taken out back. I can't possibly expect you to wait while we fix this. The tires are yours."
Finally. The boys were starting to earn their keep.
I told this story to a friend of mine with eight kids and asked how she herded them together. She said that when there were eight they didn't run off in eight different directions, they'd run off in small groups in three or four in several different directions.
Posted by delmer at October 4, 2005 9:07 AM
Comments
This would make an interesting anthropological study, especially the example with eight kids! Must be part of the human survival instinct to escape.
Posted by: Michael at October 5, 2005 5:41 PM