Kevin called around noon to tell me he was on his way home for lunch.

“How’s Leina?” he asked.

“She’s find,” I replied, “but she’s down to just her diaper and socks.”

Yup. It was just past noon and Leina had pretty much run through a whole outfit.

It began with Target.

We needed just a few items and so, after Sesame Street, we hit the road. To appease her while she sits in the shopping cart, I always get her a treat. Today, I got her a cup of milk from the Target Starbucks. Only one small problem…..I forgot to bring my own sippy cup. And so, there Leina sat in the cart, holding her very own Bucky’s coffee cup with a green straw poking out of the plastic lid. She actually did great with it until, in a moment of bliss/excitment, she threw her head back and poured the milk all over her face and shirt. I secretly think the Target people are going to report me to the authorities. First the vomit, now spilled milk. What sort of mother am I?

So home we came and I peeled off Leina’s soggy t-shirt. We sat on the sofa eating watermellon together for a while. She was leaving long trails of sticky melon juice all down her chin and fat belly, and I would grab her and kiss it off while she screamed with joy. After the watermellon, she requested a banana. So I gave her one and proceeded to clean the kitchen.

A few minutes later, I heard her little voice, “more nana pweeeze mommy.” I was surprised at how quickly she had eaten the banana.

I should have been suspicious.

As I headed back to the sofa, I saw before me a mess. Leina had not eaten the banana. She had peeled it, mashed it up with her pudgy little hands, and smeared it all over her belly, pants, and sofa. She sat there grinning at me and said, “momma kiss it off!”

Yeah, cute with a little watermellon juics, not so cute with a whole mushy banana. Off came the pants and after a nice struggle most of the banana was off of her and the sofa. That’s when Kevin called. By the time he got home I think she had ditched the socks too. So we’re on our second outfit and we still have an afternoon snack and dinner to go. I’m thinking the odds are pretty good we’ll be on outfit number three by the time dad gets home.

Of course, she’s so cute nekked, what’s the harm with letting her run a little wild every now and then, right?