Allow me to set the scene:
We were at Barnes and Noble, browsing the children’s section. Madeline found the story telling stage. She’s a firm believer in “the world is a stage,” but this is a literal stage. This is happening.
She immediately recognized that her moment to shine had come. This is what she’s been preparing for. It’s time to find an audience.
“Mom! Dad! Come watch me! It’s a stage! You gotta come watch me do my stage! I’m gonna do my show!”
Mom and Dad arrived, and were shown to their seats. But there’s a problem – the audience is too small. She sees another adult in a nearby aisle. She’s off…
“Hey! Take my hand! You’ve gotta come here! Follow me!”
She found an employee, stocking shelves. Thinking this small girl needs help, the employee came with her to the stage.
“I need you to sit right there, and watch me be on the stage!”
“Oh, you know, I’d love to watch you, but I have to put all these books away.”
“You have to put them ALL away?!”
“Yeah, I do.”
“But if you’re done, THEN you can watch me be on the stage?”
“I think you’ll be gone before I’m done.”
“But when the books are put away, then you can come watch me.”
Please note that this last sentence is a statement, not a question.
Madeline spent the next …I don’t know…15 minutes or so helping this woman stock the shelves in an effort to speed things up. I tried to rescue the employee, but she said it was fine. I think Madeline was honestly helping, so that’s cool I guess.
When it was time to go, Aaron told Madeline that she should get paid for all that work she did.
And this is why I’ve taken you all on this journey…
MADELINE WENT BACK TO FIND THE EMPLOYEE (super nice woman) AND SAID, AND I QUOTE (to the best of my memory):
“Can I get 5 dollars? Cause I gotta get that money from putting away those books.”
WE ALL LOST IT.
I think that employee was close to crying from laughing.
Madeline says some funny things, but this took the cake.
(This picture has nothing to do with anything, but she was coincidentally wearing the same shirt today, and also she wants a hamster)
