Do not pass go; Do not collect $200.

I want to extend my deepest thanks to the moron(s) who decided to build a jail at the center of Huntsville.

I know it's been there a while....and I always simply looked South while driving into town. (Cough) North is so....so...well, it's the north (sniffle).

The problem is that 4-year-old-syndrome involves a main symptom of repetitiveness. My children live, eat, and breathe regularity and predictibility. I'm an advocate. The painful truth of giving children schedules and routine is, though, that you give them patterns...which they will extend to the entire world.

So....jail (YEAH)....has become on of our fixations.

[Driving on 565 E toward town}

Alya: "Hey Ben....you know what we can't talk about..."
Ben: "Aaalllyyyyuuuhhhh"
Alya: "Ben, I am not going to talk about the jail."

OR

Ben: "Hey, guess what I'm not going to say...." (momentary pause) "JAIL!"

OR

Alya: "Hey, mommy, I'm not going to say what we can't say. Hey Ben, guess what - it's the jail."

I mean...as soon as I see that blue roof up ahead, I know it is coming. I laughed until I cried this morning. They are so serious and so fascinated by the jail.

I assure everyone we have explained the purpose of jail in detail and have reminded the children time and again that they will not have to go to jail. Their comments are no longer a result of concern and more a force of habit. It is very OCD. I assure myself this is merely the inquisitiveness of 4 year olds.

I just need to remember my FLIP for the next time we travel into town.

The other one that comes to mind right now is the fire station....doesn't matter if trucks are active or not....

{This is ALWAYS Alya.}

"Hey Mommy, the fire trucks are going. Guess what happens when the fire trucks go up."

-- now you have to respond with, "what, Alya?" --

"Mommy, when the fire trucks go up, people get stuck in the burning building."

This has been since I was told to provide a safety plan and a "ladder for when they climb out the window." I provided our emergency plan to the kids....went over it with them...explained alternate plans for them...I feel certain I provided Alya what she needed. She was not satisfied that I had a plan for us all. She needed to know what to do in case I got stuck, I guess. She really is a very serious child.

And, yet, even though I am certain she understands that most people escape to safety in a fire....the trucks means someone is stuck in a burning building.

Jail and fires.

I am giving them tons of other ammunition. I provide them lots of alternate ideas. They just suck in things like punctuation and spit it back out.

But jails and fires....it's the trainwreck affect. It is innate. We're born with it, I suppose.

I just wish you guys could be in the van with us when they do it. It is classic. I suppose I could start threatening them with jail, but that really is not my parenting style. Since we are waaaayyyy past the legitimate question/answer stage of the game, I am just going to enjoy it while it lasts, because, soon enough, it'll be something else.