There's a cute children's book by Laura Joffe Numeroff entitled "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie". It begins:
If you give a mouse a cookie,
He's going to ask for a glass of milk.
When you give him a glass of milk,
he'll probably ask you for a straw . . .
Basically, the premise behind the story is to follow what can happen starting from a simple act or granting a simple request. Little did we know how it would evolve into one more thing and one more thing beyond that, a never-ending sea of requests all from one tiny seed. The book and the illustrations are charming and great for the little ones. My daughter and I read this story a few years ago and loved it, and from time to time I see my daughter as the adorable little mouse protagonist. Let me relate to you a new twist on this old story entitled "If You Make Maddie a Fire in the Fireplace"
If you make Maddie a fire in the fireplace,
she's probably going to ask for some marshmallows to roast.
If you check the cupboards, you will find that you don't have any laying about,
so, you'll probably have to make a late-night run to Kroger.
To make a late-night run to Kroger, you're going to have to get dressed to go out again.
When returning from the store, Maddie is going to need a stick to hold her marshmallows.
Checking, you will probably find that you have nothing immediately suitable,
so you will have to cobble a ridiculous-looking thing together out of a wooden spoon and a dough hook.
While roasting marshmallows, Maddie is going to want to sing and dance.
While Maddie is singing and dancing, she will probably get marshmallow goo all over her face.
This will probably cause Maddie to giggle and make funny faces.
While Maddie is making funny faces, she will be reminded that daddy did not finish reading her book the other night,
so daddy will have to go and find the book and commence to reading.
This will probably lead to hugs and laughter,
which will probably make Maddie want to roast another marshmallow.
It's amazing to me how the simple idea of lighting a fire in the fireplace lead to a whole different evening than the one that we had planned. Parents need to have the flexibility to follow the leads of their children and let them take us on the adventures that they select.
