Ethan gets the mail.

I am about to tell you a funny story about Ethan but, first, I need to preface it with the fact that Scott thinks I am a "present snoop". I admittedly have been a bit nosy in the past. I seem to always know what I am getting for Christmas or my birthday beforehand. This is the truth - Scott is a bad liar and an even worse hider. Yes, I sometimes snoop, but usually he just makes it too easy for me to find things. This story has NOTHING to do with me snooping.
Yesterday morning I turned on a computer game for Ethan and hopped in the shower. When I got out I listened to hear the computer game still going and no screaming or crying coming from his direction so I started to blow dry my hair. After a few minutes, the door opened and in walked Ethan with a shoebox - "Look, mom ... the mail guy brought you a new pair of shoes." He opened the shoebox and, sure enough, there were a brand new pair of running shoes. Knowing my birthday is coming up next month I am assuming that Scott must have bought them for me ... especially considering Ethan doesn't know my shoe size, can't read, hence can't order them himself from Amazon.com ... but how in the world did he end up with them? The front door is dead bolted and locked at the tip top with a latch he can't reach, the back door is dead bolted and the garage door is closed.
"Um, where in the world did you get these?"
"The mail guy brought them for you. Aren't they beautiful?"
"Why, yes, they are - but how did you get them?"
"FROM the MAIL GUY, MO-OM!"
I walk downstairs to find that in his attempt to open the front door, Ethan had moved the big chair in the front room. Obviously he couldn't reach so he moved the shoe basket to the door. He still aparently couldn't reach because the top latch was still latched, and so he moved on.
My snow shoes are laying in the kitchen, there is a stool next to the garage door and the garage is OPEN. OK - so he figured out how to open the garage, great. He must have gone out and got the package because there are bits of cardboard box all over the ground.
But no box.
Where is the box?
"Ethan, where is the box the shoes came in?"
"I don't know."
At this point, I am thinking I could have put the shoes back in the box and sealed it back up and let Scott think I never saw the shoes. But I can't FIND the BOX.
So I call Scott.
"You aren't going to believe me but what I am about to tell you is the truth. Ethan brought in a box from outside, opened it up and brought me a new pair of running shoes."
Scott - "Those were supposed to be for your BIRTHDAY!"
"Yes, I was assuming that. They are beautiful. Thank you. But it wasn't me who opened the box, I wasn't snooping. Ethan did it."
Scott - "Ya, right. Why should I even believe you?"
"Because if I had snooped I would have looked, wrapped them back up and pretended like I didn't know what they are. Instead I am calling you and telling you about Ethan opening up the box and showing me my birthday present. I can't even find the box they came in. And I am assuming the box isn't even useable anymore because there are bits of it all over the floor."
Scott - "Hmmm ... whatever ... well, do they fit?" I hang up not knowing for sure if he really beleives me.
I look outside, in the garbage, in his room and still can't find it. Finally I opened up the door to Scott's office and there's the box, ripped to shreds and a sticky butter knife amidst the wreckage.
I leave it exactly how I find it so Scott can have a good laugh when gets home (and for evidence to support my case) and I give him a call.
Scott says, "OK, well you know the guy I work with that is studying to be a forensic detective? He's taken a class in fingerprinting and he is coming home with me tonight to do some tests."
HAHA! He laughed and the guy didn't really show up so I am thinking he actually does believe me.
And can you guess what our Family Home Evening lesson was on last night? Yup - never opening the door by yourself. Think he learned his lesson? Probably not.