BUSTED

So.

The kids were wanting to watch a DVD this afternoon so I obliged.  We had finished our school work, had been for a very wet, puddle jumping filled walk with the dog, and all our house keeping chores were complete.  

And really, it isn't that hard to convince me to watch a dvd on a rainy afternoon.

The kids picked a DVD and I put it in but it kept on skipping. So I pulled it out and looked on the back.

It was covered in about four little finger prints.

We have a BIG rule in the house that the kids are not allowed to touch the DVDs or DVD player.  So these teeny tiny finger prints were a sign that someone isn't following the rules.

The kids both denied it, repeatedly saying "REALLY!  It wasn't us!"

So I decided to teach them about a little thing called fingerprint lifting.  

Yes, I'm ready to turn any event in to a learning opportunity. 

So I got out the superfine cocoa powder and our camel hair paint brush, dusted the fingerprint on the back of the DVD, lifted it with tape and stuck it to an index card. 

Then we got out the magnifier and the kids were in total awe over what they saw.  We went over the different kinds of finger prints, I printed off a bunch of pictures from the computer and we talked about how no two finger prints are the same and that everyone has their own set that is totally unique. 

Then I showed them how they could take prints of their own finger prints. Each took an index card and a stamp pad and made fingerprint cards of their own.  They. Were. Amazed. The excitement was so wonderful to see and they spent a good twenty minutes comparing their prints to each others and talking about how they are different.  

Then, we compared these to the cocoa lift from the DVD, one by one, trying to find the culprit.

But none of them were a match.  

Then they pulled over MY finger prints. 

And apparently, those pesky finger prints are partials of my pinky finger.

Excuse me while I blush a bit.  

I found myself trying to defend the placement of those finger prints, explaining that it must have happened because i place one finger in the center and my finger must have grazed the disc.

They weren't buying it.  Their exact words?

"Mommy!  Maybe you shouldn't put DVDs in the player anymore if you can't be responsible. That is one of my favourite movies.  Wouldn't want it to get damaged!"

Hrm. 

So I said yes, I obviously need to be more careful and that I would try to make sure it wouldn't happen again. The kids offered suggestions that I could always wash my hands before touching the discs, that maybe I should use the salad tongs to pick them up, that maybe, it would be a good idea if my oldest made us a "disc putter-inner-inator" so that I didn't have to actually touch the discs and risk damaging them.

I distracted them by making stove top pop corn and then went to put the nice clean disc in the player.

"Mommy, did you wash your hands?"

Busted.

Homeschooling can be such a humbling experience sometimes. 

Cheers!

Marina