Strike 2?

It started exactly the same.  I walked into Charlie's classroom and Miss Chelsea said, "Charlie had a great day except..."

Immediately my mind was racing -- how could this have happened again?  We talked to him.  We made him apologize.  We took away a star on the chalkboard (he was at 4 on his way to 5 before yesterday's incident).  How could he have done it again?

All of a sudden I tuned back in to what Miss Chelsea was saying "I caught him and a bunch of his friends showing their noodles on the playground."

"What?"  Maybe I'd misheard.  I thought kids did that at 5 or 6, not 2 years old!

"I caught them with their pants down, made them pull them up and put them all against the fence."

Nooo....not another time out.  I was really hoping he'd earn back the star he lost yesterday, not lose another one...Is my son a delinquent?

Miss Chelsea continued, "I explained that we don't show our noodles at school.  It's not polite.  Charlie was so upset.  He kept apologizing over and over and asking not to be sent to time out.  I felt bad for him."

Suddenly, I felt bad for him, too.   After all, I don't think we've ever explicitly told him he can't "show his noodle," and he appears to have learned his lesson.  

After a quick quiz on the way to the car, it was clear Charlie had learned his lesson.  I was so relieved not to have to be the stern mom a second day in a row, and not to have to take away another star.  At five stars he gets to go the petting zoo this Saturday, and he's already down to three.

So, relieved that Charlie may not be on the slippery slope to juvie, I texted Jason to share the story. 

His response?  "Is that a two star day?"