Saturday morning, I was running around the house trying to catch up on all of the cleaning I neglected over the work week. By Saturday, it tends to look like the house vomited upon itself. After tossing some laundry in the basement, I stopped in front of the entrance to the living room to assess the situation. Scanning the floor, I could see a corn cob, a brownie topped with nuts, a pickle, a hamburger patty, half of a bun, a slice of cheese, a piece of lettuce, a bottle of ketchup, and a tea pot. Lily was standing two inches from the television, mesmerized by Little Bear and Grandpa Bob was dozing on the love seat.
"Lily?"
Nothing.
"Lily?"
Still nothing. I rather listen to Little Bear than me, too.
I walked over to Lily and sat down cross legged next to her. She looked up at me.
"Do you think you could pick up your kitchen toys and put them back in the kitchen?" I asked. From my vantage point, I could see toys poking out from underneath the couch.
No. I can't, Mommy.
I am hearing this far more frequently than I would like.
"But didn't you bring these kitchen toys into the living room to play? Shouldn't you put your toys away when you are done?"
Lily stood up when I said this and moved in the direction of the kitchen toys. This was a good sign, I thought. But instead of picking them up, she just sat down in front of them.
But I'm not done.
I thought this a rather logical answer so I let the plastic food go for now.
Dana and I brought some laundry upstairs to our bedroom with Lily and Liam in tow. Once in our room, we shut the door to keep Liam from getting loose in the hallway and falling down the stairs. Lily announced she had to go to the bathroom and that she wanted to do it by herself so she wandered out of the room, shutting the door heavily behind her.
It seemed a minute too long and the house had that eerie quiet feeling about it. Anytime it is quiet in my house, you know something is wrong. Dana and I went into the hall. I went to the bathroom first but found it empty. Dana motioned to me to come down the hall as he quietly stood outside of Seth's half open bedroom door.
I could see Lily crouching behind Seth's desk chair with her back leaning against his bed. She was quiet. I thought she wanted to play hide and seek. Then I noticed she had Seth's 'robot' book. Perhaps she was just looking at the pictures as she had a couple of nights before when we were in Seth's room.
Dana said sternly, "Lily, what do you have in your mouth?"
It was then that I noticed balled up foil wrappers surrounding her feet. And nearby lay Seth's Christmas stocking!
"Uh-ohhhh...you ate Seth's Christmas chocolates! Lily! You're a swiper! You swiped Seth's chocolates!" I said.
Lily's mouth was still full of chocolate and she looked mournfully guilty. I had never caught her doing anything like this before. It was hard not to smile.
"You know, you shouldn't really be in Seth's room when he's not home. I'm sure Seth would let you have some chocolates, but next time, you should ask," I said.
"Are there any more left?" asked Dana, hoping he could swipe one, too.
Lily now looked up a bit more gleefully than I would have liked. How quickly she changes!
No! I took them all out!
This meant she had taken them all out and eaten them.
This reminds me of a time when Seth broke into someone's special-edition PEZ collection and ate them all up when he was about the same age. So, hopefully, when he comes home, he'll be empathetic and not angry.
"Lily?"
Nothing.
"Lily?"
Still nothing. I rather listen to Little Bear than me, too.
I walked over to Lily and sat down cross legged next to her. She looked up at me.
"Do you think you could pick up your kitchen toys and put them back in the kitchen?" I asked. From my vantage point, I could see toys poking out from underneath the couch.
No. I can't, Mommy.
I am hearing this far more frequently than I would like.
"But didn't you bring these kitchen toys into the living room to play? Shouldn't you put your toys away when you are done?"
Lily stood up when I said this and moved in the direction of the kitchen toys. This was a good sign, I thought. But instead of picking them up, she just sat down in front of them.
But I'm not done.
I thought this a rather logical answer so I let the plastic food go for now.
Dana and I brought some laundry upstairs to our bedroom with Lily and Liam in tow. Once in our room, we shut the door to keep Liam from getting loose in the hallway and falling down the stairs. Lily announced she had to go to the bathroom and that she wanted to do it by herself so she wandered out of the room, shutting the door heavily behind her.
It seemed a minute too long and the house had that eerie quiet feeling about it. Anytime it is quiet in my house, you know something is wrong. Dana and I went into the hall. I went to the bathroom first but found it empty. Dana motioned to me to come down the hall as he quietly stood outside of Seth's half open bedroom door.
I could see Lily crouching behind Seth's desk chair with her back leaning against his bed. She was quiet. I thought she wanted to play hide and seek. Then I noticed she had Seth's 'robot' book. Perhaps she was just looking at the pictures as she had a couple of nights before when we were in Seth's room.
Dana said sternly, "Lily, what do you have in your mouth?"
It was then that I noticed balled up foil wrappers surrounding her feet. And nearby lay Seth's Christmas stocking!
"Uh-ohhhh...you ate Seth's Christmas chocolates! Lily! You're a swiper! You swiped Seth's chocolates!" I said.
Lily's mouth was still full of chocolate and she looked mournfully guilty. I had never caught her doing anything like this before. It was hard not to smile.
"You know, you shouldn't really be in Seth's room when he's not home. I'm sure Seth would let you have some chocolates, but next time, you should ask," I said.
"Are there any more left?" asked Dana, hoping he could swipe one, too.
Lily now looked up a bit more gleefully than I would have liked. How quickly she changes!
No! I took them all out!
This meant she had taken them all out and eaten them.
This reminds me of a time when Seth broke into someone's special-edition PEZ collection and ate them all up when he was about the same age. So, hopefully, when he comes home, he'll be empathetic and not angry.