I Was Not Blogging

...when this happened.  If you want to know why I rarely blog, here is 1 reason.

(Picture quality, terrible I know.  I had a little one following me.  But, you get it right?) 

Her name is spelled L.Y.D.I.A. 

Do I mention this was the same day she had gotten into some cookies?  (And the kicker is, we usually don't have so much "good" stuff in the house.  We were potty training.  Extra treats were needed all around.)  And, Lydia knew.  She knew.  My kids love chocolate as much as their parents.  How does she get into things?  She epitomizes "Where there's a will, there's a way!" She tore the top right off!  In case you're wondering, she "only" ate from the donuts that are pictured.  The other row and a half missing was eaten by Matt and yours truly.  Phew.  Not all at once either.  Phew. 


A few days later she got her little hands into the vegetable shortening.  "Where were you, Mom?" you ask?  Oh, I was... 2 feet away from her in the kitchen doing dishes.  My problem was...I was looking at the dishes.  She was elbow deep in that gooey goodness, squishing it in her hands, saying, "Nice! Nice!"  I don't even know how I responded to my happy girl, but it was urgent....skipping right over, "How did you get the lid off (and without me realizing 2 feet away)?"  She can think of her ideas and act on them lightning fast.  I'm taking notes but still not as efficient as she is.  While I quickly tried to intervene...you know, with some urgent yelp, I envisioned smears of a creamy, slippery mess all over our house.  (I'm not a neat freak Mom by any stretch, and I often let my kids play with some things that will get them messy.  But, vegetable shortening?  I don't even like to wash it off of spoons or out of measuring cups.)  Well, she listened to her frazzled mother and pulled her Crisco clumped hands out of the container.  Before I could get to the paper towels, she eyed the white blobs covering her hands.  "Mommy would like me to leave that Crisco alone, and she probably wants me to clean up.  I better smear what's left on my hands allll around my pink-shirted belly.  That'll do the job. " And so she did. 

"Give thanks in all circumstances:"  At least I got to her before she could rub it in her hair! 
And of course, as busy as she is, I love that smiley little girl, and I love the miracle that her Crisco-covered, happy self is.

Dear Lydia, I love your adventurous spirit, but please get into a few less things each day and take a moment to read a book or play with a toy...or sit on Mommy's lap, relaxed, and singing sweetly while I write, as we share one donut together...or please, just leave the vegetable shortening (and the plunger) alone. 

Baby gate #2 for the kitchen has been installed.