The Artful Dodger

Yesterday was one of those trying days. You know those days where the kid doesn't sleep well, therefore mom didn't either. This is bad because you are now both short on sleep which equals short patience and lots of crying (her, not me- although I could have). The past 6 months or so, the vast majority of her naps have started while in the car, and I have come to rely on that method and it worked like a dream until we found ourselves carless. Now, naps are few and far between, unless we happen to have a car and then she is out like a light. Yesterday was a no car day, so despite her major sleep deprivation, it was also a no nap day. Not cool on such a day.
Well later in the afternoon, I got out a little project to work on hoping Scout would leave me alone and watch tv. It sort of worked, but this project involved FABRIC markers as seen in Exhibit A:

I let her sit down and color but the rule was if she wanted to color, it had to be next to mommy, but if she wanted to watch "Go Diego Go" she needed to leave the markers with mommy. She was in and out and ended up being out for a while. When she came back she sat under the kitchen table for a while and when I finally noticed her fully, I caught her scribbling with exhibit A under the table. I took it away, got out a rag and some 409 (I have come to the conclusion that one of 409's ingredients is magic). If you can't get something out or off, try 409. We mostly got it off, and Scout got a lecture about drawing on things other then paper, a well worn lecture in our household. I got the table mostly clean (doesn't matter too much as it was the underside). She felt bad and cried and gave her a hug and some Ritz and put her on the couch to watch Diego. Feeling pretty good about things, I laughed with her a little and turned to go back to my project, and that is when I noticed it. Big black scribbles ALL OVER the cushion of the other couch. Let me explain something. First, it was this couch:

Which, to start off is the most expensive furniture purchase (by quite a bit) we have made to date. Secondly, it is our favorite, most comfortable couch. Many of you readers have sat on or even slept on this couch and we have a lot of family that "calls" it when they sleep over. Even though we have a queen size guest bed, another couch, and a futon.
Ok, back to the story. Black, fabric marker generously scribbled over one of the cushions. I literally did a blood curdling scream. I was shocked. I immediately filled a bowl with hot soapy water, got a rag and my precious 409. I ran back in, watched by a very nervous Scout (I didn't have time to deal with her yet) and began spraying. Our minds are funny. I was suddenly thinking of what we can do to rectify this. My options were,
1)unzipping it and taking it tearfully to a dry cleaners, hoping there was a chance.
2) calling the factory and seeing if they could send us just one cushion replacement
all the while scheming very Lucy like that one of these options could be carried out before Rob got home from working that day or noticed the absent cushion (you see, earlier this week Scout scribbled with a ball point pen all over our computer monitor on my watch -windex didn't touch it, 409 cleaned it right off) Rob was the one that discovered it.
I didn't get much further with my list when, miracle of miracles, it was coming right off. I couldn't believe it, it all came out without a trace. Sorry I have no exhibit B, I was in no frame of mind to take a picture of Scout's handy work and now it's gone forever. I'm sure you can imagine it though. Scout got a MAJOR sit down lecture and is not allowed to use markers even in mommy's presence until she is at least 18. Rob came home shortly thereafter and I told him the story. I got my own mini lecture which I was fully expecting, I suppose I deserved it, but man! She is sneaky!!
So anyway, crisis averted with none of the I Love Lucy stunts that were starting to form in my head (picture a sheet over the couch for 4 to 6 weeks for a very "believable reason" while the factory is busy at work crafting us a new one with Rob none the wiser). I shall endlessly sing the praises of 409 and micro-fiber.