Value.

An object's value can be determined in many different ways. One of which is the familiar idea of supply and demand. If this theory, that a scarce item which is greatly desired and in demand is of great value, can be trusted; then the most valuable items in our house are...rolls of tape. Scotch tape. Masking tape. Paper nursing tape. Packing tape. But most especially...scotch tape. The easy to use, all purpose tape on the green plaid cardboard backing. Ohhh how my children's eyes light up at the small disposable plastic dispensers.

For Parker's either 4th or 5th birthday we bought him a 16 or 20 pack of scotch tape. That was all we bought our child. And he was delighted. Green paid tape ends flew everywhere and the little crrick of tearing tape was heard throughout the house. It lasted two days. Then we needed more tape.

Back to the discussion at hand. My children believe that all things can and should be made/created/repaired with tape. And their faces fall as they run to my desk and start purposefully digging in the second drawer on the left side-third bin from the right. (or at least my tape rolls used to reside there.)

Child (either one will work quite appropriately): "Mom!" "Where's the tape?" (continuously pawing through my OCDedly arranged drawer bins.)

Me: (Less than sympathetically) "You take all my tape. I have none. It is wherever you put it last."

Child: "Please! Will you help me find some? I need it for my table/bracelet/horse/crane/chain mail/crown/refrigerator that I am making!"

Me: "Sorry. I have no tape. You two have taken it all. I am tapeless."

Child: (not really getting it) "But can you help me find it? Maybe Caroline has it all in her desk! (note: this is not an unreasonable nor unkind statement. Anything that disappears in our house, including but not limited to library books, clothing items, brushes, carrots, baby dolls, stuffed mice, forks...somehow usually seem to appear in Caroline's desk or under her bed...and she is always surprised to see them.)

But that is another story and I shall return to the tape.

Me: "Let me look." (I rummage through Caroline's desk with child watching intently over my shoulder. Child is already dressed and ready to go to Target if necessary to procure more tape.) "Ah! I found masking tape!"

Caroline: "What is masking tape again?"

Me: "The big light tan circle tape that you cannot see through."

Caroline: (sparkly eyes with dilated pupils) "Oh. I like that tape. Can I have it?"

Me: "Sure."

Away she goes. A streak of pink flying away to her secret laboratory of things-made-with-tape.

(This could have concluded with a Parker happy-tape-dance as well, so choose your own conclusion to the dialogue.)

So supply vs. demand? By that measure, tape even beats out bread in this house. So don't look for any packages from me. I have no tape with which to seal the box. But I do have a bracelet/armor/masterpiece/pencil cup/tiger made with the help of my tape. And I'm good with that.

Posted by stephanie at February 12, 2007 07:59 AM

This is, if I may say, an extremely well-written post. Like one of the best I've ever read. You should enter in into a Mommy blog post contest. If such a thing exists. I am not being funny...really! I am impressed. Beautiful writing.

Also, it is most entertaining (which I suppose is often a perk of good writing!)...and you have made it easy to picture the wee Clemmonseseses and their antics and adventures with tape!

Posted by: Tricia at February 14, 2007 08:18 PM