The Artistic Phase Continueth

During the 20 minute nap I took today, while the children were supposedly downstairs in the playroom watching "Angelina Ballerina," Madelyn located a blue magic marker, drew all over herself and all over the play "store" and kids' table, and--somehow--mixed the blue marker ink with water in the play pots and pans and dumped blue water all over the playroom carpet.

I was alerted to this disaster when Jillson came upstairs in her dress-up clothes, started flicking the lights on and off, and said, "Attention!  I am Mrs. Junah.  I am a grown up.  I am here to tell you that your little baby is pouring water all over the floor.  The water is blue."

(Mrs. Junah and I later discussed how it would have been appropriate for her to inform me of the craziness much sooner, perhaps even as early as the moment Madelyn picked up the verboten marker.  We've been discussing the fine line between tattling and "acting responsibly" a lot lately.)

After washing Madelyn off, I quarantined the kids upstairs so I could give the steam cleaner yet another workout downstairs.  I am pleased to say the marker came up nicely.  Hooray for Crayola's "washable" line.

I decided to take a mommy break in the playroom before coming upstairs and watched the last fifteen minutes of a cheese-o-rama E! documentary about William and Kate's road to the altar.  I heard the kids clomping around upstairs in and out of my closet, no doubt trying on my heels and slinging handbags around.  Should've known better. After all, it was taking a mommy break in the first place that led to the marker all over the playroom.

For if there is anything we've learned from the paint incident (also Crayola's washable line), it is that there is always a coda.

My royal-watching respite was interrupted by Tilly who came running downstairs and sat down in front of me and stared at me in that way that dogs do that can only mean "one of my kind is in distress."  Sure enough, I went upstairs to find the door to my bedroom was locked from the inside.  The kids were not in there.  (They were lying on the living room floor with couch pillows and blankets, pretending to be asleep. In heels and with handbags.)  But Zephie was locked in the bedroom, and she was not happy about it.  This is a dog who does not like to be separated from her peeps.

Thankfully, I was able to jimmy the lock open from the outside (who knew that door knobs had tiny little holes in them for this purpose!) to rescue Zephie.

And all was well again.

And I did not take my eyes off the kids for the rest of the day.

And even so, Maddie colored on the kitchen table with red crayon right in front of me.  Then, after her time out, she came over to say I'm sorry and give me a kiss, and she licked my mouth instead.

Awesome.