Our 10 and 8 year old girls came home from school yesterday eager to tell us some disturbing news about their 4 year old sister.

“Mommy, Chloe got the wall today!”

The wall?

I mean, “THE WALL? Outrageous!”

(Um, what is the wall?)

“The Wall” is exactly as it sounds. It’s a wall of the school that kids are sent to stand at or near or facing or in the general area (the details were sketchy) when they break a rule.

Chloe, cool as a cucumber, “I’ve gotten the wall before you know. That wasn’t my first time.” If there had been a Popeye cigarette, there would have been a cloud of pink, powdered sugar smoke circling her head.

Clearly, the wall is a gateway punishment to being sent to the corner.

I asked Chloe what behaviour or action led her to being sent to the wall.

Chloe asked, “The first time or today?”

Let’s start with the first time. (I couldn’t help but wonder if I had mistakenly stood next to “the wall” and that’s why two of the parking-lot-after-school-pick-up-Moms will no longer make eye contact with me). Then again, it might be that I still have marks from my goggles from a morning swim practice at 3pm and they just don’t know how to communicate with someone like that.

Chloe: The first time I went down the slide on my stomach.

Okay.

“The second time I showed everyone my stomach.”

I’m seeing a recurring theme.

“Today, I kicked Hanna but she kicked me back first.”

Anytime there is retaliation kicking, it means you started it.

Something tells me, this isn’t the last time I’m going to hear about the wall.