Mischief Incorporated

Has anyone had one of those times when they look at their children and all they can do is shake their heads in despair? When if you don't laugh the men in white coats will find you sitting in the corner of the kitchen jabbering like an idiot? I had one of those nights Friday night! And it was all caused by a 3 foot bundle of trouble.

Now I know that doesn't sound very loving but I am talking about a child that friends who know her shudder at the thought of babysitting. It's not that she is naughty, she is just very inquisitive, creative, explorative and strong willed. Hey give me a break! I am trying to describe her in a positive way instead of the "devil-child" that I really feel like at times! She is 2 years old yet creates more havoc than Cyclone Larry! I know part of it is trying to keep up with the older kids but I don't see the older kids drawing on the walls/doors/furniture/appliances/other kids/etc with pens/chalk/felt pens/permanent markers/ etc. Now I know there are people thinking, "so put them out of her reach". As any parent would know, easier said than done! She knows how to elevate herself by any means possible to reach that high spot. She just knows how to get into mischief!

Her latest achievement Friday night just topped the lot. Now because Becker had to get up about the time he would normally be going to bed that morning, he flaked out on his bed about 6 or 7 pm. Now I am used to this. He is home generally only 2 nights a week and he does have a habit of disappearing for a couple hours sleep on those nights off.

Friday nights have become McMummy night again. That's when instead of spending a fortune buying McDonalds I cook the kids chips and nuggets (there are nice fish nuggets which would probably be healthier than chicken nuggets) in the oven, give them a drink of soft drink and a surprise. I have even gone to the trouble of buying plastic take away containers (washed up and reused of course!) and special cups. I also had to get small jelly moulds to use as sauce containers for Eddie and Tasha.

Surprises take a bit of thought as I have 3 age groups to cater for but for Tasha there are The Wiggles board books, toy jewelry etc. Eddie has bags with 2 toy cars atm. I gave him a mini cricket bat Friday night but I need to get a few more things to add variety. Tiffany has a couple of care bears and books. Now it pays to shop smart and at the discount stores and to buy big and break it down. For example, the cars I have came as a pack of 12 and the jewelry and hair stuff came as a pack which I separated into smaller groups.

The kids absolutely adore this special treat and since it is easy to shove a bit of food in the oven I can make it a special meal night for adults as well. We can have curries or stews or try a new recipe.

Anyway I have digressed away from Tasha's antics. Now for those with a weak bladder I suggest emptying it now!

Her first piece of mischief came when Becker was still awake. It has been hot and she was sticky and dirty so she got thrown in the bath. The two young ones love pure cold water in the bath so we can leave her without worrying about the water going hot. The only flaw is times like Friday. I was in the kitchen doing dishes and Becker was half-heartedly helping me while Tasha had a soaking. And of course she turned the tap up and overflowed the bath a bit but like a good girl she had removed herself from the tub and stood there watching the action. While I was throwing some towels down I noticed the bath had lots of bubbles but hey Daddy had obviously been nice to her and put bubble bath in. Reasonable assumption until it comes to Tasha at any rate.

It was only later when I was washing my hands that I noticed a new bottle of shampoo in the handbasin. Yep, the little munchkin had managed to get her hands on it and emptied the lot into the bath. At least I finally knew why I was sliding around on the floor, it wasn't just water! I just threw my hands up in despair because really I should have found room at ceiling height to keep it safe!

So now we get to later in the night. She has spent the day getting in trouble, woke up too early and not had enough sleep, didn't sleep until mid afternoon and still not long enough. That always spells stress and trouble with her. Becker had hidden in his room for a sleep and while the kids dinner was cooking I had wandered outside to get some more gnomes painted. I am doing them in batches and painting one colour at a time to keep the mess down.

As the kids were all inside when their dinner was ready I just put the paintbrush down and walked inside. Worked out my mistake? Yep, I left the pot of paint open and within Tasha's reach. But she was safely occupied in the lounge room. That was until I wasn't looking. Here I was getting ice in cups and containers ready when in she walked with 2 green hands like a pair of gloves. Oh hell! So I turned her around, grabbed her under the arms and marched into the bathroom calling Tiffany.

Tasha was very unceremoniously dropped back into the bath which mercifully still had the cold shampoo infused water in it and Tiffany got the task of getting her cleaned back up while I grabbed a toy bucket, dunked it in the washing up water, grabbed a sponge and surveyed the damage. What a nightmare!

The chair, brick wall, 5 gnomes all had been painted. Thank god for water paint! So here I was frantically scrubbing all the excess paint off before moving the untouched gnomes to hose the whole area down (we live in a rental and I don't think a green wall would be overly appreciated!).

But at least it gave the food time to cool down! She sat down with her dinner like a perfect angel before proceeding to upset her brother by sticking her fingers in his sauce and wanting his drink and taking his food etc etc.

I must say when she finally went to sleep it was a massive relief! I love her dearly but sometimes she pushes the packet beyond endurance! She is a bundle of non-stop energy.