Hide Your Valuables

... because Grace is in the hiz-ouse and she is apparently a kleptomaniac.

Already today I have recovered several pieces of stolen property. First I found a game piece in her toybox downstairs - a piece to a game I've been trying to sell on Craigslist. It appears as though Robert is her most recent victim. She snagged his blue duct tape -

...and about 6 of the 5,000 guitar picks he has laying around here:

She seems to primarily use the following three "tools" to aid her in the process:

1. This humungous black purse, which once belonged to me and was passed down to Chris. I wonder how it came in to Grace's possession. Seriously, this purse is bigger than her head.

2. For a more discreet approach, the simple and smaller Easter purse:

3. And her favorite - a big ol' brown shopping bag.

So seriously, when things go missing, we go to Grace. If she isn't holding it, we begin the search, first of her three bags, above, and then the toybox. Today I've just found the game piece, the guitar pics, and the tape. But on previous occasions, I have also turned up money, hair thingies, shampoos, a fishing license, and much more. Her favorite item seems to be this:

I cannot tell you how many Post-It notes I have picked up in the past month or so. Maybe she takes after me. I love them, too. But I don't steal them, nor do I stick them to the carpet.

Speaking of taking after me... I have to say, I could never be a housekeeper. I am lousy at it, and I am slow. And I think I can say that for everyone who lives in this household, to be truthful. But I have to show you how Joshua "made" his bed today:

My goodness, is that a dead body under there? Looks like it, doesn't it? I helped him do it right and underneath the blanket we found 2 sleeping bags, one folded blanket, a regular pillow and a boppy pillow, a teddy bear, two small stuffed animals, a sleeping bag cover, and a lot of hamster flakes from the cage above the bed.

And speaking of housekeeping, I'm not done yet, so I'd better get going.