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At Target today

Sometimes when we go to Target, we get a snack. Eleanor loves the pretzels, Amanda loves the smoothies. I usually get some goldfish crackers for Luke, but what he really loves is popcorn.

Someone had spilled some popcorn on the floor in the snack area, and the attendant hadn't had a chance to sweep it up yet, so Luke cruised around the area, picking up little pieces of popcorn and trying to put them in his mouth. He succeeded in the first one, but I managed to get the rest from him after he picked them up but before he got them into his mouth. "I need that please," I would say, and he would (reluctantly) give the pieces over to me.

It got to be time to go, and the floor was much tidier than it had been, so I turned to throw away our trash. When I turned back to Luke he had a very plump mouth and a funny smile on it. A lady nearby was watching him, and she told me that he had bent down to pick up a piece of popcorn, held it out as if trying to give it to someone, and then when he realized that no one was going to take it, popped it quickly in his mouth. I realize his look couldn't possibly have been guilty at this stage in his moral development, but I do think he realized he had got away with something.

I have sometimes thought of Luke as a walking disaster area: things fall apart wherever he goes. Someone pointed out to me that it wasn't that he was worse than the girls, but that he has more opportunity since I am so distracted. I hope the worst he gets from this is dirty popcorn.

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