Why Does the Jail Bird Sing?

Here's that picture of Patie's cake from the previous post. Here's the side you didn't see...
That's right, look even closer...
Yes, there is something missing, isn't there?

So after quiet time was done the girls were sitting at the table with coloring books (Lily was still sleeping) and I went upstairs to feed Hudson. They knew the cake was for the party and of course they shouldn't touch it yet, but I went ahead and gave them very clear instructions not to anyway, you know, just to cover my bases. I would never expect Lily to leave it alone, but hadn't thought for a second that Grace or Patie would have touched it. It's way within their boundaries for self control to be fine with leaving it alone. Well, apparently yesterday was an exception.

I came downstairs to see a slightly altered cake on the table, and two little girls eager to tell me how it happened. Apparently, they knew the right thing to do, knew how fun the disobedience would be, weighed the consequences and went for it. I couldn't believe they'd thought it all out and decided whatever Mama dished out for a consequence and discipline would be worth the sweet sweet forbidden sugar. I tried really, really, hard to keep my "serious face" while I talked it out with them and then took them to the basement for a time out, Grace in the guest bathroom with the door shut, Patie at the foot of the stairs. Really, I thought it was hilarious, but in no way wanted them to know- you know, because this was really, really disobedient. As I took them down, Grace said happily, "Mommy, I won't cry!!" Patie chimed in, "I won't cry either!!"

I went up to the kitchen and shut the basement door.

"PAAAAAYTEEEEEEEE!!!" (They were yelling across the basement to one another)

"WHAT?!"

"WHERE ARE YOU??"

"BY THE STEPS!"

Then a moment of silence...

"GWAAAACIEEEEEEEEEEE!!"

"WHAT?!"

"WHERE ARE YOU?"

"I'M IN THE BATHROOM!"

Then they started singing back and forth to one another.

First it was the "ABC song", then "Angels We Have Heard on High", taking turns singing, then sometimes singing together. The songs continued, but I was reading with Lily and lost track of what they sang. I kept giggling to myself, the whole thing was just too funny. Mostly because, though I know the two stories have nothing to do with one another, they just reminded me so much of Paul and Silas singing through the night they spent in prison together in Rome. It was so funny- but what a great way to pass the time for the well-worth-it discipline. No earthquake came and got them out of it, though. They were having so much fun I left them down there twice as long as I had originally planned.