Red Footprints


Brinley took off at the speed of light.  She always does this after a bath.   I wipe her down with a towel and the moment I let go she runs as fast as those pudgy little legs will let her.  She  loves being free of her diaper,  so this night I thought I would give her this opportunity.  She raced throughout the rooms, her chunky lil bum jiggling as she bobbed.  Oh it is heavenly to watch her waddle and march, run and skip.Elly and I began reading and going over words when suddenly a chubby hand slapped at my shoulder.  This is how Brinley catches our attention.
"Dah!" Brinley yelled, pointing towards the hallway.
"What is it Brinley?" I perked up, staring beyond my creamy skinned child.
"Dah!". She shouted, hitting my shoulder once more, then taking a few steps in the direction she had pointed; sticking her finger out again.
I stood up following Brinley who promptly marched into the living room.  She stopped just before we approached the area rug.  If your a mom, I'm sure you can guess what laid before me.  A pile poop.  Thank goodness it wasn't diarrhea-was all that flashed through my brain.  Swiftly I put on a clean diaper to Brinely-just in case and began discarding, cleaning and scrubbing the mess away.
      Minutes later we were reclaiming the kitchen, fixing the disaster
that is dinner.
"Mommy can I wash the dishes-please???". Elly begged.
Another time when Brinley got into my makeup

We pulled the chair over in front of the tub of bubbly warm water.  Elly immediately got to work, sticking her hands in the suds and swishing them about.  I took over in the drying arena.
And Brinley-well she refused to miss out on such an opportunity.  She climbed the chair Elly was standing on and attempted to follow her sisters lead.  I turned on some calming music, some slow instrumental jazz on a local station and got lost in my thoughts, drying and putting away items that Elly washed.  It was Elly's shouts that jarred me back into awareness.
"Mommy, Brinley look!!"
I looked back at Brinley-a giant red streak ran down her lips, dribbling past her chin and trailing down her bare belly.  Panic rose within my chest.
And yet another time when Elly got into my makeup-you can see why I don't wear lipstick-it just doesn't last that long

A sad girl confessing she had gotten into Mommy's makeup- I thought it was cute and funny I had to take a pic

"Brinley!" I gasped, holding her chin and gaping.  I followed the red splatter all the way down to the chair, where a deep dark puddle drowned out her and Elly's toes.  I shrieked and stared back at Brinley's stained mouth and teeth.  I'm sure I would have been rushing her to the emergency room if I could make out where all this blood was gushing from, but I couldn't see the source.
  Her hands were dark with color, as well as the sink.  The sink, with it's red fingerprints dotting the landscape revealed a tiny plastic droplet-it's red cap sat next to it.  Food coloring-red food coloring.  Had she picked another color my heart wouldn't be racing and my head would stop spinning.  It was the only droplet I left out-from the Jerusalem dinner we had the day before-and now it was all over her, staining her newly cleaned skin, as well as her sisters feet.  Distinct sets of bright crimson footprints smeared the chair and wood floor.

Into the bath they went again swirling the bubbles into a lovely pink tint.  Their hair, toes, cheeks and arms were doused with soapy water AGAIN.   I watched them giggle and splash about as if it were their first bath of the day.After snuggling up to dry fluffy towels and changing into warm jammies, Elly examined her still red feet,
 "Look Mommy!  My feet are camouflage, see?". I sighed and smiled.  Indeed they were, a hint of blood, a smear of color.  My little girls, they know how to make messes and dirty themselves up.  Sometimes it drives me bonkers and causes me to stress when a terrible mess is left behind.  And then there are moments when you think they are in danger and hurt and are relieved to see that it is only a bit of food coloring.  It is nothing more than a simple clean up.  And the innocent adorable words that spill out their mouths make me smile and feel thankful for these crazy misadventures that is just our normal commonplace life.  Camouflage for real joy.
 
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Comments

Samantha said…
Wow - that's hilarious! I would have panicked too!
Oh my gosh! What a stinker! I would have DIED at cleaning up that mess! Funny though :) ps - sending a present to one of my loyal followers :) hop over to my blog to see!
Danielle said…
Oh my yes these girlies keep me on my toes. I have a friend that always has the most insane, entertaining stories to share. I think I've figured out her secret, it's called having kids! ;-). They give me an endless supply of material to share.
Tamika Eason said…
She is too darling!

Thanks for the comment you left on my blog. I'm always happy to meet other mommies walking with Him!
Robin Kramer said…
Perhaps our daughters are in cahoots with one another. My youngest recently got into my make-up and decorated her face.

War paint, to be exact.
Danielle said…
Oh funnny-I think they are. ;-)

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