think strategically

i always try to think a little bit ahead -- bring an umbrella when its cloudy, buy milk before we run out, set aside money for atty's college fund every month, research hotels before buying airline tickets, do a sanity/cost benefit on pulling weeds vs paying a landscaper, skip taco tuesday with a toddler. it's all about the before.

i do the same sort of forward thinking to help intercept some of atticus's shenanigans. one time i was sitting in the living room, heard the zipper on my purse, bolted to the dining room to find atticus poised and ready to decorate with my hot pink lipstick in hand.

last weekend atticus started working on his long term game. he feigned boredom while i attempted to vacuum so i desperately handed him my address book. when he opened it stickers and stamps cascaded to the unclean rug. he then decorated his uke with said stickers. actually a great project that made for an even cuter uke and an entertained boy. the kicker was the stamps. somehow they got stuck to my dress, which of course, i failed to notice till that evening. i removed the stamps and placed them next to the sink in our upstairs bathroom. four days later, atty's strategic thinking paid off. as i was recounting a bizarre dream to nelson, atticus threw the stamps in the sink and blasted the faucet. score: atticus: 1 mama: 0.