Sneaky

During Mabes' quiet time today, I had to make some phone calls. For the first one, Mabes was rather crazy, as she often is when I'm on the phone. I told her to please stay in her room, I need to make another call. I fixed a makeshift sling for Ricecake (evidently, Mabes had noticed another mom using a sling at the park and decided she needs one) and sent her on her way. I made the other call, and when it ended, I realized that Mabes was playing quietly in her room, as I had asked her.

So I went to the kitchen and washed some cherries, went over my to-do list, ate said cherries (by the way, I know it's not a pressing scientific need, and things like a cure for cancer or a teleporter certainly take precedence, but when are they going to make cherries without pits? They made seedless watermelons. I'm just sayin'...), folded some laundry, ate some more cherries, and then realized that Mabes had been in her room--quiet--for some time. Door closed. Locked. Never a good sign. I put my ear to the door and heard some plastic rustling, and weighed the options. I mean, could she possibly be doing anything bad enough to warrant disturbing the quiet? Curiosity got the best of me, and after some hesitation and more rustling plastic, Mabes agreed to open the door.

I walked in, looked around, and saw nothing out of the ordinary. A mess of toys, but no crayon or makeup or paint. She told me she was just playing, and I as I tried to figure out what plastic she was playing with, I saw this mat she has and asked if she had been playing with that. She said yes, I said okay and turned to close the door. And then I noticed 2 Rice Krispies stuck to Ricecake's sling.

I stepped back into the room and scanned it again--Mabes looking guilty--and this time noticed the well-hidden box of Rice Krispies peeking out from behind her book box. Don't laugh, Allison, don't laugh. But I couldn't help it. Mabes asked why I was laughing, and I had to tell her it was because I thought of something funny. I shouldn't encourage this, right? So picked up the box of cereal, and Mabes explained that Ricecake was hungry so she was feeding her. Though I don't usually let her have food for quiet time, I gave her a little cup of Rice Krispies to feed Ricecake. (It's been a rough few days, so a quiet hour was well worth compromising my rules!)

As I put the cereal away, I just giggled to myself. I mean, I know kids sneak food. I did it, though it was much easier and better to do at the Rawlings than at our house. Sometimes we lucked out with marshmallows or chocolate chips, but usually it was just handfuls of food storage wheat kernels. But should I be worried that not only is my 3-year-old sneaking food, but really good at hiding it?

And in case anyone is looking for birthday suggestions, Mabes informed me today that for her 4th birthday, she'd like a cookie machine. And by that, she means a Kitchenaid stand mixer. I told her that since mommy didn't get one until she got married, Mabes would have to wait a while. I do use my Kitchenaid for things other than cookies...