Um....Daddy....Are you really sure this is a good idea?

Changing Jayson's diaper Wednesday night while Jessica was at Enrichment, I realized we had a real problem. I thought the University of Utah sweatshirt was only put on for pictures. But here it was again.

I gathered the girls together for a mini-family "Cougar Club" council. While I was putting on a fresh diaper I asked them, "How can we let Jayson suffer wearing this sweatshirt? You know he must really hate it. We have got to get rid of it. Don't you agree?" Both girls adamantly agreed.

Tayler, will you take this and throw it in the outside garbage? (Thursday morning is garbage removal time for our neighborhood). She hesitated. "You do it dad". Rylee quickly volunteered, "I do it dad!" Tayler decided she better help her.

As they headed for the front door Tayler double checked, "Um.....Daddy....Are you really sure this is a good idea?" "Absolutely!" I reassured her, wondering myself what the outcome would be when Jess found out (I was pretty sure I was strong enough to take responsibility without throwing the girls under the bus).

Thirty seconds later I heard Rylee crying from out front. "Tayler, why is Rylee crying?" The answer came swiftly and confidently, "She wanted to throw it away all by herself but I did it instead". Well, what did I care, the damage was done. Then a strange thought....I better check and make sure. When I lifted up the lid-----no red sweatshirt. "Tayler, where is the sweatshirt?" No response. "Tayler, where is the sweatshirt?" No response. "In the garage," said Rylee, still teary-eyed. "Tayler, where is it?" "In the very back of the paint shelf". Sure enough, I found it wadded up in a small ball on the back of the paint shelf.

It frightened me how quickly she had come up with her little lie about why Rylee was crying. But then, I'm the one who put her in an awkward situation. 'Was I to blame?' 'Of course not', was my follow up thought 'she learned that from her mother'. (JESS--think VISA). Yeah---VISA.

"Tayler, Rylee, when mom comes home and asks where the sweatshirt is you say, "Ask Dad". Got it. Two head nods--one blond, one brunette. "Good. Ask Dad. Nothing more".

Sure enough, "Tayler, where is the Utah Sweatshirt?" "Ask Dad" came the reply. "Tayler, do you know where it is?" "Ask Dad," I heard again.
'Good, this girl is a fast learner' I smiled to myself.

Then, an unexpected (somewhat tearful) tattle "Mommy, Tayler wouldn't let me throw it in the garbage all by myself." Oh crap! The weak link......
Thanks Rylee.

No harm done. Somewhere in Clearfield there is a sanitation worker with a slightly used Utah sweatshirt on his little boy.

Either that, or it's being used as a rag to clean the dipstick after he checks his oil.