i was born at night ... but not LAST night

I noticed this afternoon that one of our children had drawn on one of the walls.

I wasn't at all upset about it because their palette happened to be our bathroom wall that has recently been partially stripped of wallpaper and will eventually be fully gutted and remodeled. But when I inquired, "Hey guys, who did this?" they immediately looked guilty as they started to point their fingers at one another.

With the exception of sidewalk chalk on our driveway, everyone around our house knows that you are only allowed to paint, color or write on PAPER. Not walls. Not books. Not window ledges. Not furniture. Not floors. Not computer screens. Not each other.



Not anything except ... say it with me ... PAPER.

So today while the great inquisition was occurring in one room, Henry was happily and obliviously playing with a super hero figurine in the next room. His siblings realized that he was absent and that factor made him a very convenient scapegoat. When Elizabeth noticed that Henry wasn't paying one iota of attention and was vulnerable to their accusations, she cupped her hand up to her mouth and whispered, "Mom. I know who did it." Then she looked over at her younger brother and added, "He has brown hair and lovvvvves Buzz Lightyear."

"Reeeeally? Tell me more..." I encouraged.

"Uh huh!" she eagerly nodded. "His name is spelled H-E- ..." she stopped and looked confused for a moment before she asked, "Um. How do you spell HENRY again?"

Oh my, that was a good try, little one.



But I happen to know a very talented artist who always signs their name.