The Snowball Effect

Following a typical meltdown over who had a certain toy first this morning, I overheard my husband trying to explain the "snowball effect" to the boys.

He told them that like a snowball rolling down a hill gathers snow and gets bigger and bigger, choosing to be unhappy in the morning would only lead to further unhappiness throughout the day. By evening, he warned, they would be truly miserable.

While the boys were intrigued by the idea of a snowball, I doubted that they really grasped the concept.

The boys were loaded in the car, waiting for me to lock the front door. I could see them having a heated conversation as I walked to the car. The moment I opened the door, my eldest exclaimed, "Henry made the snowball roll!"

"What?" I asked, baffled.

"Well, he was saying naughty things and spitting at me," he declared indignantly, "He made the snowball roll!"

Peering in the rearview mirrow, I could see his brother grinning. Well, I guess they sort of got the concept. Too bad they enjoy the snowball.