The Invention of Lying

So, my 'sweet' little Hattie has just discovered how to tell a lie. Not just a deflection of blame, but a full on, crazy story lie. The kind that needs a backup lie. She already thinks she's pretty good at it, and I must admit she is pretty quick thinking about them. No hesitation.

Just a full on crazy lie.

Yesterday I made them leftovers for lunch, which she Hates. I told everyone they had to eat their rice-filled wrap before they could have a cookie. Tanner ate his quick, but Hattie sat at the table singing. After about a half hour of reminding her of the consequences of not eating it, I left the room to get some stuff done, and Hattie stayed at the table singing and not eating. I was in my room for a couple minutes when she came running in and told me she ate her wrap and wanted a cookie. Knowing full well she hadn't eaten her wrap I explained to her that she wouldn't get a cookie if she hadn't eaten it. She insisted she had. So I told her if she was lying to me she would have to go in timeout. Again, she insisted she had eaten the wrap and that it was all gone. Then I told her I was going to look in the garbage. Hattie put her hands up infront of me and said, "you aren't aloud." Um, yes I was. Again, she insisted I wasn't aloud to look in the garbage. We walked into the kitchen together and their was a huge trail of rice from the table to the garbage.

me - Hattie why is there rice on the floor?

Hattie - That's not rice, it's peanut butter

me - um, no it's not, it's rice

Hattie (very matter-of-factly) - nope mom, it's peanut butter

Then I opened the garbage and see her wrap sitting on top {suprise, suprise}

me - Why did you throw your wrap in the garbage?

Hattie - That's my peanut butter wrap

me - no it's not. It's your rice wrap

Hattie - no mom, I had a peanut butter wrap too, and I threw it away.

It was so hard not to laugh the entire time because she truthfully thought she was so smart and sneeky and was so proud of herself for thinking up this great lie to trick me with. Oh, Hattie.

The catch, Monday night we had a FHE on telling the truth and not lying. Apparently that struck a cord with her, but in the wrong way!