Adventures with Belle

I've had so much going on this week I can't remember what I've posted and what I haven't. Please don't say I'm getting old, 'cause I surely don't need another reminder of that!

I had Belle come stay the night this week and we had the best time. We started out by going to watch my son-in-law play ball, but the real interest for the kids was climbing the bleachers. I'm thinking they should make this an olympic event for pre-schoolers. It seems with lightning speed they escape your reach and head for the highest possible place.

Believe it or not I can actually remember walking across the top of a neighbor's swing set just to hear her squeal for me to get down before I broke my neck when I was a kid. I can't imagine why that gave me such pleasure, or why that is one of the memories that sticks out from childhood, but it did, and it is, and now I'm being paid back in spades! I did not disappoint either, for I'm sure my screeching was just as frantic and entertaining as the neighbor's from my early days.

After the ball game we headed back home. When we climbed into the car immediately Belle spotted some alphabet cookie

cutters I bought recently at a yard sale, and asked ever so sweetly, "Mimi, I want to bake sumfin wif you?" Since it was really late I promised we could do that in the morning and we headed to bed. She loves to bake and to wash dishes.

The next morning we had a tea party with some dolls, then, as promised, we headed to the kitchen, and I asked Belle what she wanted to bake. She said, "I want to make my mommy a pie." So we made a pear cobbler. When it came out of the oven I announced my plan to take it to her mom while it was still hot.

Belle was not ready to go home so while I put the pie in the car she found a very good hiding place and parked herself ever so quietly there. I ran through the house frantically like a crazy person, first thinking she was hiding, then not so sure, then in

a real state of panic started to think of really frightening scenarios. I finally called her mom even though I feared she would never let her stay again. I mean who loses a three year old when there are just the two of you? After a great deal of commotion we finally found her smiling quietly sitting under my sewing table with a mischievous little smile.

Now who would ever think that this little innocent face could scare a body so badly?