Schoolbag Saga, Continued

   This is a continuation from last week’s “school bag” post. I wrote that on Monday evening (came out “Tuesday” on blogger, as I had posted after midnight…).

  The day after I wrote that blog piece, Ricki was quite insistent that I carry her bag for her. As I mentioned in the comments:

“ Tuesday:Unfortunately this morning it was not the reality. It was either I take the bag or she would miss her ride. So I took it, being under pressure. So now there has to be "consequences"(which I told her would come) --which I need to decide on before her return at 6PM today. Probably no apricots tonight (her favorite "TuB'Svat" fruit..  “ 

   I confess that the same evening, I completely forgot about “consequences. The next few days I carried her bag down, letting her know that I was only doing so because I was anyway going downstairs in order to pop over to the grocery store. And if I am anyway leaving the house, I don’t mind helping her out. But I mentioned that on a day that I don’t need to go to the grocery, she will need to take the bag on her own. Thus I was preparing her for the idea that ultimately it IS HER JOB to take the bag.

   Sunday (yesterday) it happened. I was NOT going down to the grocery. When Ricki TOLD me (note, NOT  “asked”) to take her bag, as she was leaving, I informed her that today I was not going to the grocery, and remember, I mentioned that you need to take it yourself…..

  As I shut the door, I smiled, and noted that if she didn’t hurry, she would miss her ride and need to walk to school.

  I shut the door…..and held my breath. I knew darn well that if she missed the ride, the chances of her schlepping to school were in the range of minus ten to zero.

   But she sighed, accepted the decree, and trudged down the stairs. Today she didn’t even ask for help, but took the bag on her own….