Pequena Traviesa

Yesterday morning while I was nursing Ireland I decided to fire up the DVR and watch the latest episode of Losing It With Jillian. I love how blunt and ferocious Jillian is with those she trains and the last two episodes have taken place right here in Massachusetts. For the most part, Liesel is pretty good about playing on her own and she disappeared to do just that. When I was about to find out if "Deb" from Cambridge had lost the weight at Jillian's six week follow up I realized it was rather quiet. Eerily quiet. Ireland was now sleeping peacefully in my arms and I didn't want to jostle her. I decided to do a pulse check on her big sister. "Liesel?" I called out. She responded in toddler gibberish and I knew she was alive and in the bathroom. My instincts told me I needed to check on her sooner rather than later. When I did, I was met with this scene:

Liesel had climbed from her stool to the toilet to the bathroom sink, taken off her clothes, opened the medicine cabinet, pulled out the Vick's Baby VapoRub and slathered herself in it from head to toe. I don't entirely know how she managed to do it because the smell overpowered me before I even got to the door. Heeding my mother's advice, I grabbed the camera to take a picture and called her. Liesel proudly said, "CHEESE!" the second she saw the camera and of course my mother got a kick out of my predicament. While I related the story to her, I put Liesel down and tried to ascertain which bottles were clean and which were not. In that time, Liesel climbed onto the dining room table where she got a hold of the hand sanitizer and she began rubbing that on top of the VapoRub. I thought that smell couldn't get any worse but believe me, it did. I immediately told my mom I had to go and started a bath.

By the time I cleaned every inch of Liesel, the bathtub looked like an oil slick. The worst part? She got a huge glob of the VapoRub in her hair and it absolutely will not come out. I've tried 2 different shampoos as well as dishwashing soap and as of this morning I've lathered her up 9 times! The girls are supposed to have professional photos on Saturday and if I can't find a solution fast Liesel is going to look like she sleeps in a cardboard box on the street because of her greasy hair. Anyone know how to get VapoRub out of hair? The morning adventures must have tuckered Liesel out because for her nap she fell asleep right in the middle of reading her book.

Another recent development in our home is Liesel has discovered how to climb out of her crib. Time outs aren't nearly as effective when the offending toddler peaks out of her room 30 seconds after being chastised. This morning I awoke to Liesel at my bedside announcing, "I had a good nap... I hungry." So much for sleeping in another 10 minutes! Here is a picture of Liesel mid-escape. Friends and family joked with us that our lives were over once Liesel learned to walk. Oh no, I have to say this is much worse.

Aye de MI!