Pushing Buttons (a children's story)

Annie loved to push buttons.

In the car, she would push the button that made the window roll down, then the one that made it roll up, then the one that made it roll down, then the one that made it roll up...until her Daddy told her to stop doing that.

At home, they had a doorbell that she loved to push over and over again, even after the door was open and she could just go in...until her Daddy told her to stop doing that.

Annie loved to push buttons, but more than anything she loved to push her Daddy's buttons.

One of Daddy's buttons could be pushed by telling him you didn't want any french fries with your hamburger, and then asking for his. Annie loved how Daddy's neck got all scrunched up when he gave her the french fries.

One of Daddy's buttons could be pushed by telling him that he didn't hear you right. Annie loved to say something and then pretend that she didn't, then watch how his ears turned red when she said "I didn't say that. You are wrong."

One of Daddy's buttons could be pushed by calling him a "hippocrit". She saw Mommy do that once and Daddy almost exploded. Annie loved to call Daddy a "hippocrit" (even though she didn't know what one was) and make little puffs of steam come out of his ears.

One day Daddy was very worried about work. They went out for supper to a hamburger restaurant because he didn't have time to make something at home.

He asked her if she wanted french fries and Annie said "no". When they got their food, Annie asked for Daddy's french fries.

Daddy's neck didn't scrunch up, but he said "I thought I asked you if you wanted some french fries and you said 'no'." Annie said that he didn't hear her right and that he was wrong because she had said "yes".

Daddy's ears didn't turn red and he just said "oh" and then looked at something on his phone. Annie started to worry that Daddy's buttons must be broken, so she called him a "hippocrit".

No steam came out of Daddy's ears. He just looked up from his phone for a second and said "That's not what a hypocrite is, Annie" and then looked back down at his phone.

Annie started to cry because Daddy was too busy with work and his buttons weren't working. He frowned a little and said "We'd better go home." He didn't even hug her or wipe her tears.

On the way home, she made the window go down and up, down and up, down and up, down and up. Daddy didn't ask her to stop.

When they got home, Annie pushed the doorbell a bunch of times and Daddy said nothing.

Then, worst of all, Daddy put her straight into bed, gave her the smallest kiss ever, and turned off the light without even saying "Good night". He didn't even notice that she was still crying a little bit.

She heard the sound of him typing on his computer.

After a few minutes, Annie quietly got out of bed and took off her warm pyjama top and put a little t-shirt on instead. Then she threw her pyjama top on the floor.  Then she took some more clothes out of the closet and threw those on the floor too.

Then Annie got back into bed and called "Mommy! Come kiss me goodnight!"

Annie loved to push buttons.