It's all in the purse!

I often take for granted how intelligent Ella actually is. I know she's extremely intuitive, I know she soaks up massive amounts of information like a sponge, I know the wheels in her head are constantly turning and I know that long before she could really communicate verbally what she wanted or was thinking she understood what we were telling her. Most kids are this way. They learn quickly, pick up on everything and probably at the age of only a few months are much more intelligent than many of us are as adults! (Not meant to offend anyone, Ella often makes me question my own intelligence!) Anyway, the point being that most often times when she tells me something it is a fact and she says EXACTLY what she means. It's important for me to not dismiss what she's saying as if she doesn't know what she's talking about. Let me explain...

The other day Ella and I were shopping. We were in a store and she was sitting in the back of the buggy as opposed to the seat. This makes for a MUCH more pleasurable shopping trip as it is much more satisfying to her to spend her time getting up and down and moving around rather than being confined to the tight quarters of the seat. So, as she would have it she disputed her way into the back of the buggy thus winning the argument! Motherhood has taught me quickly how to choose my battles! Anyway, we were strolling along and I found a bag, which I liked and threw it (and by threw it I mean gently placed it in the back were Ella was sitting.) She was excited about this "purse" which she referred to it and wasted no time putting it over her shoulder. Of course several steps and a few aisles later I happen across another one that suits me better so I swap them out and we head about our business. It's not but just seconds later that I look down and notice that not one, but both of Ella's juice cups are missing from her diaper bag. I immediately take inventory: keys, wallet, cell phone. CHECK! Then, I asked, "Ella, where is your juice?" She very matter-of-factly replied in her innocent and high-pitched tone,"The purse, momma." To which I said,"Oh! they're over there by the purses?!"

"Uh huh," she said.

So we headed back to were we came from. I'm of course on all fours bending down to glance under the shelves and between the aisles for these juice cups that she has most discreetly thrown out of the buggy. Minutes of this uncomfortable crouching and still no juice cups. So I begin to retrace our steps and continue my up-and-down posture on my scavenger hunt through the store. Now, normally I wouldn't mind a couple of missing juice cups, but it was, what felt like, 150 degrees outside and it was imperative that I have something to which I could rehydrate my toddler on this outrageously hot day. So back to the hunt, as you can imagine, I'm slightly irritated that I've been crouching through the entire store like a duck looking like quite the spaz in a rabid search for JUICE! So, I frustratingly (but lovingly, of course) explain,"Ella, if you don't stop throwing your juice out of the buggy you're going to get in trouble." "But momma, it's in the purse."

LIGHT BULB! "Oh! It's IN the purse?" "Uh huh." I could almost hear her thinking, "Duh, mom. I only told you that 20 minutes ago." Once more we head back over from were we came, I find the initial bag that had been replaced, pick it up, open the top and low and behold...both her juice cups and her stuffed dog! She really had made herself at home. And, I guess next time she tells me "it's in the purse" I'll listen just a little more closely!!