Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Where do they learn these things?

So last Friday, Sophia is watching some blasted episode of Max and Ruby where Max wants candy... or something like that. (It's taken her watching this episode a few times and asking for candy for me to realize that much)... So the show's over and she keeps asking for candy. "We don't have any candy silly goose," I say for like the eleventh time, and she disappears from my room.

Normally that's a really nice thing for a few minutes. But when I do start calling for her, it's silent. A little weird for her; quiet, still, calm, reverent, none of that's really her thang. :) I notice her door is closed and since there's a child-proof knob on the other side I realize, oh she's just stuck in her room. But when I open her door there's nothing, I check her closet- nothing. Except of course for an open zip lock bag on her bed. Hmm. Strange. But not really. I've found far stranger.

I proceed to check the rest of the house, and every closet going from completely unconcerned, to convincing myself there was no logical reason to be concerned, to tears and frog-in-throat and lots of offers for candy and trips to the park and "ok I'm leaving".... and yelling... lots of yelling. Nothing. Except of course a disheveled pantry. Gasp. We've been robbed. The brooms are everywhere.

I'm sure it was all of five minutes but she was nowhere. All doors locked but of course I still ran out front, back, and into the garage. All these workers in my house, some one's made a copy of the key. They came in and stole her. I'm sure of it for like a quarter of one second and I almost vomit. (Writing inspires a little dramatization in me... ). So I'm still running frantically, wondering who I call, what next, checking every spot a second time, when a little more carefully this time, I check her closet and look behind the door. And she is sandwiched in there, so quiet and still, with full cheeks, guilty eyes and a big bag of marshmallows in her lap.

It all suddenly made a little more sense. And if I'd thought clearly for like a split second I would have known she found something yummy in the pantry and hid from me to eat it.

What a stinker. And how lucky is she that when I'm sort of the "maddest" I've ever been at her, all I want to do is kiss her sticky face and hold her.

15 comments:

koko bean..... said...

I am so glad you found her. Even though you knew she hadn't left the house it sure makes your heart sink when you can't find them. It sounds like she has finally arrived at the stage that I as a parent, NOW know to stay on alert at all times. At least what she did wasn't a big mess. Think about having two of them at that age with that kind of silence it was never anything good. One time I went through the same thing, I couldn't find them and when I did there was a whole new bag of goldfish all over Kamerons room and bed.They were mashing them with their feet and having a good time I might add. We had only moved in a week or so when they did this. So good luck and enjoy many more of those times to come. Hopefully they will all end with just an empty bag of eaten marshmallows .

Lindsay Griffeth said...

I love reading your stories ~ the detail is fabulous.

Glad you weren't robbed and that it was all just a bag of marshmellows.

I love toddlers.

alliehoopes said...

Red hot marshmallow squirters?

We have all the Max & Ruby books at our library memorized :)

The rlmmmmcaress family said...

Max is funny but is always getting into trouble. He does exactly what he wants, when he wants. This is not a good role model. I just bought a chain for our door that will be almost to the top of the door. This is not to keep people out, but to keep the big girls in. The hiding-from-me thing is going to give me a heart attack. By the way, this whole thing might have been completely avoidable if you had only given in to her at the very beginning.

Holly said...

I am actually crying at how touching that little anecdote was to me. You need to publish a book of short stories about your experiences as a mother.

Christin said...

One time Luke fell asleep in the coat closet and I was about to call the cops. Luckily I saw his little foot sticking out of a parka.

Christin

Audry said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Audry said...

I would have been in a huge panic, I'm glad that she was being naughty and not gone. Naughty just doesn't seem too bad under the circumstances huh?

Jlowryjr said...

Hilarious. She's like a little squirrel, holed up for the winter.

Quite the story. You and your sister think alike.

Sarie said...

That is SOOOO classic! What a cutie pie, and you're such a good mom. It's so easy to be angry, but you took the high road!

Lacy said...

I'm tearing up just thinking about it. I am so glad you found her!

walt or jean said...

I loved the "WHAT (what italicized) a stinker" part. :) you write good. :)

Erin Marriott said...

Lillie you poor thing! I would be a frantic mess, I'm sure it was the longest 5 minutes of your life! I think it's so funny that all she wanted was sugar, so she raided your pantry and found marshmallows! That's hilarious. But not so hilarious for you. I'm sure you wanted to throw up. I'm so sorry you had to go through that. What is even more shocking, is that she kept quiet when you opened her closet! My little Lillie did that to me about a year ago. I couldn't even describe the anxiety I had, and all the many irrational thoughts that went through my head as a mother, like, 'did someone climb up and break into her window and then fix the broken glass from his ladder?!' It's funny how our minds do that. But I'm so glad that all she wanted was her sugar fix, and she's safe and sound. Scary!

Rebecca Smylie said...

I don't know why this almost made me cry. You are such a good writer lillie.

Kodi said...

Loved this story (as I seem to love all your stories). . . can't believe I didn't comment on it till now. You really are a talented writer. I agree with Holly, I would read the book and recommend it to all my friends! :)