The lesson for today is: Irony

Now that summer is here, the prisoners are shipped off to summer camp. The prisoners are enjoying life. Activities every day. Fun with friends. It's summer. 

Today's activity was some sort of 'messy art project'.  They raided my closet for old tshirts, packed flip flops and were off. 

Upon pick up, #2 had paint all over his sneakers. And he was quite upset, informing me we needed to buy new sneakers immediately. #1 was quick to point out the fact that her sneakers were fine because she used her flip flops while painting, but took the opportunity to state that if #2 got new kicks, she should get new ones as well. 

After informing #2 that he would NOT be getting new sneakers (I am still of the mindset taught by my mother-- new sneakers are purchased just before school, not at the beginning of summer), the conversation progressed.  Guard: 'Why didn't you use your flip flops?'  #2: "Because I would get laughed at."  G: 'Then why do you think you need new sneakers?'  2: "Because they have paint on them and I will get laughed at."

Irony. Perfect teaching moment?  Sure, let's give that a shot. 

12 minutes later, teaching moment had past. We are home, tears have been shed. 1&3 used the opportunity to push buttons, confirming his fears he would be laughed at. Total and utter disaster of a conversation. Irony, not iron. No, you don't iron your clothes with irony. Oh nevermind. Let's revisit this in 10 years.

So there I am, cooking dinner and scrubbing paint off sneakers. Damn paint won't come off. Oh well, he is a boy and the sneakers are beat up anyway. A little black paint over the red and he won't know the difference. 

The real lesson-- that school is going to be questioned why they would use paint that is not water soluble.  It doesn't way off the legs, hands, arms or hair either. I swear that day care centers hate parents. 

And let me digress for a minute: Our prisoners go to a day care that has traditionally had a pre Mother's Day 'Tea with Mommy' and pre Father's Day 'Donuts with Dad'. Sounds sweat, right? It totally is great to go there and spend time with the prisoners. But, they schedule it 3 hours before the end of the day, requiring the Warden or Guard to take work off early to attend (and who CAN'T attend?  I'm not a monster), and there is no possible way that you can even think about going back to work after that, so the prisoners come home early. So the day care gets to close early because they totally know that there is no way a parent can say no to something like this. 

Irony. It's everywhere.