Pay it forward.

Juliette had her first detention yesterday. Except that, when you are 2, they don't make you stay late- they just make you stay in. She and her friend Justin were apparently shouting and screaming and generally being noisy and wouldn't stop when the teacher asked them to quiet down. So Juliette had to stay inside while everyone else went out to the playground.

I blame Justin. Troublemaker. Bad influence. Juliette knows better. I know this because lately Cosette has been screeching a lot. And every time she does this, Juliette tells her "No, Cosette. No screaming. Use your inside voice." Then she comes and tattles: "Mom, Cosette is screaming inside."

She certainly doesn't get this from me. To my recollection, I never got detention. Once, in 4th grade, I did get in trouble for ignoring my teacher- but I really didn't hear her calling me, I swear! I had to write "I will listen when my teacher calls me" or something like that, 500 times, and then get my mother to sign it. I cried so hard, I was so ashamed! Greg, on the other hand, was a handful. Whenever I describe Juliette's more mischievous side to my mother in law, she laughs and says "just like her father." Somehow, it is karmic payback that Juliette take after her father; but how is that fair to me? I can only hope that Cosette brings back balance.

Update: My mother in law tells me that Greg never got a detention when he was in elementary school. In fact, he was a very well behaved child. This is not reassuring, because it makes me realize that no matter how strict I am now, when puberty hits, all hell will break loose. Furthermore, if Juliette is already getting detentions at 2, what is going to happen when she is 10, or 13, or 18?