Smelly Ball

Mae walked through the front door and held up her "new" soccer ball.  It was visibly dirty and had an unpleasant odor to it.  I asked where she got it and she said, "Somebody's trash.  Can you believe somebody would throw this away?!"  I gave her a sarcastic, "No way!  Somebody threw that gem in the trash?"  Not getting my sarcasm, she replied, excitedly, "I KNOW!  I can't believe it!"  I then took on my best Mommy-tone and told her to please go put it back where she found it.  The smile faded from her face and the radiance that surrounded her just seconds ago vanished.  She hugged the ball tight, got into her fighting stance and said, "NO."  So I told her, "Go put it back where you found it and then take a bath."  Again, she gave me a stern, "NO."  I then tried a new tactic and told her to at least put it outside, since that's where she'll play with it anyway.  Of course, I planned to dispose of it at my earliest convenience.  She put the ball outside but it was obvious that she knew I was up to something.  She disappeared into her bedroom for quite a few minutes.  I figured I'd take care of the ball when it was dark outside and I could be sneakier.  But then, Mae came out of her bedroom.  With pleading eyes, she gave me this:



After going through all of that trouble, I just couldn't justify telling her no.  I only hope that letting her take in an orphaned stinkball didn't swing the doors wide open for future orphaned puppies, kittens, bats, snakes and squirrels.