Busted!

Yes, I've single-handedly busted a one-child crime wave that was sweeping through T's class. ...and I didn't even need my prosecutorial experience to do it.

T often takes a toy to camp. Usually a doll. One Friday she took Tiana, and didn't come home with it. When questioned, she said that she lent it to her friend Rachel, who would bring it back on Monday. Monday came and went, and no doll. When quizzed, T said that Rachel claimed that her mom cut the dress by accident. A day or so later, T said that Rachel claimed that her mom broke the doll.

Well, I was highly suspect of these flimsy excuses, but decided to use it as a learning opportunity, that sometimes when we lend things to friends, we don't get them back. The next week T takes 2 barbie dolls to camp. Comes out of the place with only one. When I ask where the other one is, she says that Rachel is borrowing it.

No frickin' way.

I tell the counselor that I'm concerned that Rachel has now taken a 2nd doll. Miss Sabrina goes in and retrieve's T's doll from Rachel's backpack, and says she'll talk to her mom. Rachel was claiming that she had already returned Tiana to Taylor. If that was the case, its one kid's word against the other's and nothing they can do. Apparently, though, Rachel's mom was spoken to.

The next morning at drop off, Miss Sabrina calls me to her desk where an array of toys are laid out. A veritable treasure trove consisting of : Tiana, 3 other barbies, a little purse, 2 stuffed toys, and a few things I wasn't sure what they were but they were definitely toys. The Motherload. I'm asked if any of the other toys are T's. Fortunately, they weren't. Apparently T isn't the only little kid that Rachel has been preying on.

My question: How in the world did Rachel's mom never notice that her child is coming home with toys that are not hers? Oy.