Sticky Little Fingers...

I grew up in a house with 5 {including myself} children.  If something went missing, or was moved out of place, my parents would ask "Which one of you took my ____", or "Who drank all the Pepsi?", even "Anyone know who moved the _____?" ; my parents often heard "Not me" and "I don't know".  It came to the point where my mother started saying "Must have been Casper." quite often and there were times she told my father "Don't ask them, you already know Casper did it."  For the longest time, I thought there must have been someone else in the house.  Just who the heck was Casper? 

While Ashley planned out her big surprise for Bruce, I was visiting with Arianna.  Know the days when keeping your camera close by will pay off?  Well, this was just that sort of day.  Casper stopped by often today. 

I was busy in my bedroom after Arianna and I ate lunch, checking out the latest blog postings to see if new pictures were posted by my sons ship when Arianna walked into my room and said:

"Neya, I ont ike it" 
Stunned I asked "You don't like it?"
"No. eat dogs" 
Confused I asked "You don't like it and you want to eat hot dogs?" 
"Ess" she replied and then turned toward the door and said " 'mon " 
So I followed her



Once in the hallway, I understood exactly what she was talking about.  Arianna had moved my purse off the chair and set it on the floor, climbed onto the chair to reach the M&M Peanut bag on the table.  I assume once she opened the bag and ate a M&M or two, realized didn't like them... only she put them back into the bag.  I give her credit for not spitting them out onto the carpet.  Oh,  my 18 pack of eggs was on the floor next to them {gotta love it when little fingers learn to open the refrigerator}, Arianna calls Eggs ~ Dogs.  I will never understand why.

"Oh my" I said, working very hard not to laugh "What happened here?"  With palms up and lifted to her shoulders, in her tiny voice and shaking her head she said "I no".   Casper.  My mom was right.  

"How about some Ice Cream instead" I offered, because we just ate lunch and somehow I knew she was more tired then hungry "Then we can take a nap on Nana's bed".  The nap thing did not go off very well, although she loved the ice cream idea.  "Cookie" she squealed.  Every time Arianna  asks for Cookies and Cream ice cream and I give it to her, she takes one small taste and spits it out.  Lesson learned along time ago.  So, I gave her the Frosty we picked up earlier.   As she was enjoying the cholocate desert, I suggested we go outside and blow bubbles. 

Still not to keen on taking a nap, and knowing the added activity would take the edge off her last spurt of energy, she grabbed the bottle and headed to the sliding glass door.   

Funny how that last ounce of energy in a child gives them a boost just at the perfect time.  Don't you think?  The concept of "Blowing Bubbles" hasn't caught on quite yet, once I opened the bottle Arianna started string the liquid, orange wand in hand and brisk wrist action had bubbles surfacing at the mouth.  "Bubble Neya, ook.  Bubble".  After I showed her what the wand was for, she blew until her hearts content; of course producing bubbles only at the shaking movement of the wand.

She just couldn't stir fast enough...

The art of "Blowing Bubbles"...

She turned in every direction; left, right, looking up, and even bent over; in the attempts of making bubbles.  In the end, she figured stiring was the only easy way.  I helped often, giving her an array of bubbles to chase and pop, until her sense of self independence took over.  It wasn't until the wand sunk to the bottom of the bottle, and trying endlessly to retrieve it herself, when Arianna took my finger and put it in the soapy liquid. 

Where it go?

I can touch it, just can't grab it..

Nana lends a hand ~ finger rather.

Bubble fun did come to an end.  Soapy fingers and all.  Regardless of countless nap rejections.. it wasn't long before Arianna was fast asleep.  I took this time to watch Black Swan, and relax a few.  The afternoon wasn't over by a long shot.  Tabitha, Ashley and myself made plans to take the children into Italy for a photo shoot.  A friend told Tabitha about an empty lot with a field full of Blue Bonnets {Texas State Flower}, I wanted to get pictures of the four grandchildren in the field, and a photo or two of myself as well.  I used the remaining time while Arianna was asleep to wash my hair, and get ready for photos.  Arianna woke up while I had my head in the tub, washing out the conditioner.  She had a good long nap and was ready to finish her day.  With the bathroom closet open, I fished out my blow dryer and spray gel,  Arianna loves checking out the things I have in this closet.  I keep anything harmful to the children on higher shelves, so I wasn't to worry about what she would find or could even get into.  

Man.. that was a big mistake.

While blow drying my hair, I would call for Arianna and she would come out of where ever she was and peek into the bathroom.  Physical condition was perfect, plus if she was into anything she shouldn't have been, she would have never came out of hiding.  Sounds logical right.  Again, big mistake.  The last time I turned off the blow dryer, I decided to check and see what she was up to.  Not a sound in the apartment, she sure was quite.. down the hallway, a few steps from the bathroom, was my first clue...

at the outskirts of the living room was another clue just like the one by the bathroom, yep she was into something.  Thinking I would find her in the living room, next to the sofa hiding with what ever she had {nope, not there}, or in the kitchen hoping she wouldn't be found {not there either}, the only other place was my bedroom.

Jackpot !!

Would you look at that...

From head to toe..

she was covered in baby powder.

My bed was white, the carpet was white, and she even made sure to include my computer chair.  How thoughtful of her.  Just look at that smile.  Who could even think about getting upset... not me.  I never thought she could twist the baby powder top, in fact I don't even remember having the travel size baby powder within her reach.  No harm done, not like it doesn't smell good.  With the vacuum, all traces of powder will be gone, and a simple slap or two on the bed will rid the white color.  Besides look, don't you just love the tan lines on her little feet... Texas sun, gotta love it.  The bandage also adds a personal touch, {she's wounded} it was the first thing she spotted when I opened the bathroom closet... she held her knee "ouch Neya, hurts"  nothing was there of course,  but she needed the bandage anyway. 

 

Ashley arrived soon after, we cleaned all the powder off Arianna and left to meet Tabitha at the local McDonald's.  We wanted to give the four children a snack before heading into a field of Blue Bonnets.  Maybe, we though, it would make the photo shoot go a little smoothly...  But, I will leave that story, for another Blog post. 

*** What type of things have you caught your children or grand children getting into?  Leave me a comment to let me know, upload your photo to your facebook page and tag me in it; I will use your photo in my next "Sticky Little Fingers" blog. ***