Liar, liar

This was me tonight, Thanksgiving evening.  Halle and Brian were away on a father-daughter date, Jack in his bouncer, and I was enjoying a book.  Arden was playing in her room, or so I thought.  I realized that she had been quiet for a long while, so I knew something was probably up.  I called her name, but had no answer.  I walked down the hall and heard the water rushing from my bathroom sink.  Arden is probably playing in the water, I thought.  Not something I necessarily condone, but not too harmful either.  I called her name again right behind her, her back to me.  She jumped, startled, and turned to me with a wipie in her hand.  Nope.  Not just the water. 

Before I even had a chance to ask what she'd been doing, she already has a response ready.  "I'm just wiping my face," she says with a sweet, innocent smile.  She is a master liar, or so she thinks.  Smudged all over her face and on the front of her shirt, though, is my bronzing powder.  Arden knows that my makeup is off limits.  I turned toward my makeup area and I saw my powder was closed, but it was spilled both on the counter and all over the floor.  She had made efforts to conceal her wrongdoing. 

I decided to give her a chance to fess' up.  "Arden, why is my makeup spilled?"  "Hmmm,"  she said as she rolls her eyes toward the ceiling, contemplating on telling the truth of not, "I don't know," she answered after a moment.  "Arden, did you get into Mommy's makeup."  "No. I didn't."  "Arden," I said sternly, "you need to tell me if you were playing in Mommy's makeup.  You need to tell me the truth."  She told me no repeatedly; all the while a mischievous smile playing on her lips.  At this point I was angry with her, but also was trying hard to maintain my composure because she is blind to the fact that the evidence is all over her face.....and it's so funny! 

Needless to say she got in B I G trouble; not only for getting into my makeup without permission and dirtying her clothes, but for lying.  Lying is a major no-no in our house.  Just ask Halle, she'll tell you.  I emphasize to my girls that they may get in trouble even if they tell the truth, but it's nowhere near the punishment they'll get for lying.  Arden is just now coming to the age where she can cognitively make a choice to lie or not.  Most of the time, she has chosen to confess, but this time she didn't.  I wanted very badly for her to make the right decision.  After her punishment this time, though, I hope she will choose wisely next time, for self-preservation purposes.  Kidding ;) 

I managed to snap a few pictures of her pre-punishment.  She had no idea at this time that I knew.  Ha!

although the bronzer makes your eyes appear bluer, sweetheart, I think it's about 5 shades too dark





The snotty nose tops it off :)