james and i had just returned from being reamed out by a local farmer after penny and her friends had stolen some of his crops , and penny was in her room wailing because i had told her that she was no longer allowed to play outside until she learned to behave herself , and i had spent ten minutes shouting at her , and i never shouted at her as she had wailed in her room , james had talked me down as i cried , too , telling me that it was all going to pass , they were both in a phase , and we would get through it together .