Naughty little girls

Emma is a naughty little girl.



There. I said it.



Why is she a naughty little girl you ask? (or even if you don't, I'm going to tell you anyway!)



Her mommy (me) fixes her a delicious breakfast of Multi-grain cheerios and milk. She sits in Daniel's chair because I think she's finally learned that if she sits in her booster, she can't get out until I get her out. She's a smart cookie that way. Then I grab the hamper with the dirty laundry in it and started my daily routine of picking up yesterday's clothing from every imaginable room in the house and head down to the basement to start a load or five. She even says "Bye Mommy!!!" when she hears the familiar tromp down the basement stairs.
Showing me she is done w/breakfast


While I am down switching from washer to dryer and starting another load and folding the one that just came out of the dryer, I start to obsess about how David has only 4 pairs of pants. It's cold. I must've saved some kind of pants from Thomas & Daniel. Where did I put them? So begins the search through the various rubber bins and boxes looking for size 6 slim pants. Well, of course, I found shirts....sweatshirts, t-shirts, long sleeve shirts, polo shirts....And shorts too...and maybe 2 or 3 pairs of pants that might fit. And I didn't just find things for David...no. I searched for things for Daniel & Thomas as well. Size 10 slim...or at least 10's w/an adjustable waist. Did I mention that Jeremy must've had 14 million pairs of size 12's? Because I found all of them. Alas, no 10's. :( I found pj's and hoodies and polos for the middle ones. Ah, this is very good. This cuts down on the amount of clothing I will have to buy next weekend in North Conway on our annual girls' only shopping trip - however, I will still have to buy David & Thomas & Daniel some pants. :oP



I should mention through all of this, I hear Emma. I hear her paddling around upstairs. She comes to the cellar door and tells me she is done with her delicious & nutritious multi grain cheerios. She shuts the cellar door after I tell her that I'm just doing some laundry. "Ok mommy!" I hear her in teasing the poor pups who are captive in their kennels. When I say tease, I mean she just talks to them and tells them how much she loves them, but they want to be outside at this point and seeing a human means outside must be near. Unfortunately for them, Emma hasn't mastered unlocking the kennel doors.



I sort the clothes into the various piles on the basement floor and I grab the middle boys' basket so that I can head up to their room and start switching from t-shirts & shorts to long pants and turtlenecks. I get to the top of the stairs and what is staring at me? A naughty little girl who is now covered in RED magic marker. I ask (ok yell) "Where did you get that marker, Emma?!" And how does my naughty little girl answer me? She says "Because." I follow the trail into Jeremy's room (where the dog kennels are) and I believe that she has actually tried to write on Guinness as well. She tells me "Guinness good dog." I see the red Crayola marker with the cap off. My mind thinks...could this be a washable marker...oh please lord, let it be. No. Such. Luck.
Would I kid you? Covered in marker!


So my naughty little girl is in the tub. And the water is pink. And the marker isn't all off even though I've scrubbed her numerous times with a washcloth soaked with Lever 2000. Hmmmm. Hubby tells me that these times are short and when Emma is older I am going to look back fondly on these times and wish I could relive them. I know he is right because I have an almost 17 year old, but it just doesn't seem possible when I look at Emma covered in marker.

The water was pinkish white as she pulled the

bar of soap in. (Please don't mind the ugly iron

ring around the tub...our well water is awful if

we don't keep the salt in the softening system.)

I know God sent me Emma and I am so thankful. But I also know that God was trying to get a message to me. No more. ;) God - if you're listening - I agree!

A good soaking took care of the rest!


Clean & ready for more mischief!