Tape vs Glue

Madelyn is crafting.  She loves putting collages together. They make absolutely no sense to me. But to her, they are fabulous. And that is good enough for me.

So as I sit here, working on organizing my digital photos, I keep hearing a thunk sound. I ignore it, but after a bit, it starts to reverberate in my head.  What is it?

Madelyn is using the tape dispenser perched on a cardboard box.  The noise is her knuckles hitting the box as she rips the tape off.

"Madelyn, we were at the PX on Friday. You bought a new glue stick. Why aren't you using it?"

"I bought it for you, Mom."

Right, because I need an Elmer's Disappearing Purple glue stick.

I sit there, staring at her, ready to tell her how much that noise is annoying me.  I have several thoughts. She is wasting tape.  Tape is expensive when you go through a roll at a time. I am going to need some at some point and it will be gone. That noise is really annoying!


I draw a breath to ask her to please find another way to do that, when she looks at me and speaks first.

"I am sorry I am making all of that noise, Mom. I am trying to be quiet. I will be done soon, okay?"

The child knows me well.

I have been edgy lately. But, today has been a pretty low-key day. I realize she wasn't wasting tape. She is just being a kid.  And I want her to be a kid for as long as she possibly can.

Let me just add tape to my shopping list...