Sneaky Little Things

Apparently now is the time in the life of a 5 year old where sneaking things begins. It starts with a simple twist of the wrist to hide something in the hand, then to a lowering of the hands either under the counter top or behind the back, all in an effort to keep mom from being able to see what is going on.

Usually these little acts are not that big of a deal, like who as a kid didn't try to hide that piece of candy they knew they weren't supposed to have, but really really wanted. Unfortunately, the sneaking is getting a little worse and a little big bigger than a simple piece of candy.

It has turned into an act of sneaking things - bigger things - into other things in an effort to take said things to places where they do not belong, like A's recent attempts to take the camera to school in her backpack, a host of miscellaneous toys, all of her Littlest Pets and even more recently, my cell phone. And those are only the items that I have caught her trying to sneak out. Who knows what items I have missed and may have lost track of forever. Of course when I ask her why she is sneaking things around I get the very generic and not so helpful answer of "I don't know".

Yesturday, she snuck her Breanna Bunny to the park (a place she knows she is not to go to - the bunny that is) by putting Breanna B in the garage and then heading out the front door (where she knew I would see her) and then running around the house, picking up BB and running off to the park, thinking she had gotten away with her pirated bunny and mom not knowing. Too bad for here the office is at the front of the house and looks out onto the park and as I sat reading blogs on the interent (hey, a girl likes to keep up with what her family and friends are up to), I look up and across the street to see A with BB galloping around the playground.

So not only is the sneaking growing, it's become more planned out and detailed in the execution.

Plus, K (who is only 2) has been picking up on said sneaky behavior and is starting to follow in the footsteps of her big sis. She has taken to sneaking my purse into any remote corner of the house, as far away from where mom is as possible and emptying the contents, all in search of who knows what, but I suspect candy/gum or my cell phone. She is also doing this with the diaper bag, which always has something yummy to eat inside, but still, why all the sneaking? Is this simply a case of monkey see, monkey do?

I mean it's not as if I don't feed my kids enough good food during the day, that they are scrapping around for something to eat. I am pretty sure they wouldn't even know the meaning of the words "famine" or "starvation", especially K. I am also more than reasonable about letting them do the things they want that make them happy, even if I don't understand it. So why the secrecy and the need to hide things from me.

All in all - it's driving me crazy, so I ask you - what is a mom to do?????