Timeout Tag-a-long /[tahym-out tag-uh-long]/noun. Meaning- /a. to assist in the service and duration of discipline given to an older sibling for the purpose of not parting or preventing the potential boredom that might occur while older sibling is serving timeout sentence./ b. must place gluteus maximus as closely beside older sibling’s as possible. /Origin- mom moment in my kitchen.
Our youngest has created a new self-designated post during her sister’s timeouts- right by her side. Adi willingly serves the punishment with her sister because she either (a) sees it necessary share the load and help carry the weighty punishment of a two minute timeout, (b) would not want to miss out on anything exciting happening at eye level of the coat closet door frame in the kitchen, or (c) just wants to be with her favorite person- no matter the circumstances.
I’m gathering that my first option for Adi’s reasoning for this assignment is slightly incorrect. This deduction is made simply because she does not seem to enjoy sharing other forms of discipline such as taking away a toy causing fights or just coming indoors from an hour of coloring on the sidewalk with chalk. Wrong.
So on to the second option for Adi’s MO (term originally used in the military, short for military operation…I think!). I am sure there are handfuls of stimulating events that occur lower than 16 or so inches from the floor in my kitchen. Maybe the coat closet door is just a good seat to see the dog scramble to grab each crumb that falls from the counter as meals are prepared. Perhaps the dust bunnies that trail the heels of taller people walking through the kitchen are more entrancing than I imagine. Or even better, just possibly Adi is hoping with all her might that the closet door will fling open and the coveted bucket of markers will come falling into her little hands. This could very well be the right reason she has succumbed to the assignment of the Timeout Tag-a-long. Hmm.
But before we decide, let’s examine the third reason of this self-designation. Could it really be that our Adi just wants to be with her sister- no matter the circumstances? Might she simply desire her sister’s company despite the task? Is it a slight possibility that Adi adores her more distinguished sister so much that she wants to be at her side as much as possible?
Given the surrounding evidence of the interactions between our girls, I think we might have to choose option c. You see, the first three things either daughter asks for every morning are mom, sister, and cereal. And if you knew the esteemed value cereal holds in our home, you could very well understand the magnitude of coming higher in rank than such a luxurious bowl of carbs. (Don’t worry, dad is #4!) It seems that Adi loves her sister with such a purity of heart that she just wants to be at her side, serving.
And here it is- another heart-pounding moment of theology learned in the throws of parenting. This lesson can be examined two ways. From one side, we see Adi’s adoration of her sister and her desire to be with her all the time. She wants to climb with her, play in her room, eat the same foods, run as fast, talk as clearly, and color as passionately. She doesn’t seem to care what Em is doing, just as long as she can be with her. The other side of this can be seen by looking at the willingness to serve a sentence she didn’t earn. Does this sound like someone else you know?
We should want to be at Jesus’ side, no matter the activity.
Jesus wants us near him so bad that he was willing to serve a sentence he didn’t earn.
So, I am sure my little Timeout Tag-a-long will shed her desire to share timeouts in the near future. But for now, it’s a great reminder that Jesus served a sentence he didn’t earn!
Our youngest has created a new self-designated post during her sister’s timeouts- right by her side. Adi willingly serves the punishment with her sister because she either (a) sees it necessary share the load and help carry the weighty punishment of a two minute timeout, (b) would not want to miss out on anything exciting happening at eye level of the coat closet door frame in the kitchen, or (c) just wants to be with her favorite person- no matter the circumstances.
I’m gathering that my first option for Adi’s reasoning for this assignment is slightly incorrect. This deduction is made simply because she does not seem to enjoy sharing other forms of discipline such as taking away a toy causing fights or just coming indoors from an hour of coloring on the sidewalk with chalk. Wrong.
So on to the second option for Adi’s MO (term originally used in the military, short for military operation…I think!). I am sure there are handfuls of stimulating events that occur lower than 16 or so inches from the floor in my kitchen. Maybe the coat closet door is just a good seat to see the dog scramble to grab each crumb that falls from the counter as meals are prepared. Perhaps the dust bunnies that trail the heels of taller people walking through the kitchen are more entrancing than I imagine. Or even better, just possibly Adi is hoping with all her might that the closet door will fling open and the coveted bucket of markers will come falling into her little hands. This could very well be the right reason she has succumbed to the assignment of the Timeout Tag-a-long. Hmm.
But before we decide, let’s examine the third reason of this self-designation. Could it really be that our Adi just wants to be with her sister- no matter the circumstances? Might she simply desire her sister’s company despite the task? Is it a slight possibility that Adi adores her more distinguished sister so much that she wants to be at her side as much as possible?
Given the surrounding evidence of the interactions between our girls, I think we might have to choose option c. You see, the first three things either daughter asks for every morning are mom, sister, and cereal. And if you knew the esteemed value cereal holds in our home, you could very well understand the magnitude of coming higher in rank than such a luxurious bowl of carbs. (Don’t worry, dad is #4!) It seems that Adi loves her sister with such a purity of heart that she just wants to be at her side, serving.
And here it is- another heart-pounding moment of theology learned in the throws of parenting. This lesson can be examined two ways. From one side, we see Adi’s adoration of her sister and her desire to be with her all the time. She wants to climb with her, play in her room, eat the same foods, run as fast, talk as clearly, and color as passionately. She doesn’t seem to care what Em is doing, just as long as she can be with her. The other side of this can be seen by looking at the willingness to serve a sentence she didn’t earn. Does this sound like someone else you know?
We should want to be at Jesus’ side, no matter the activity.
Jesus wants us near him so bad that he was willing to serve a sentence he didn’t earn.
So, I am sure my little Timeout Tag-a-long will shed her desire to share timeouts in the near future. But for now, it’s a great reminder that Jesus served a sentence he didn’t earn!
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