Sneaky... I don't like sneaky.

I'm tired of the tears and sad faces.

I really don't and Hobbit seems to be ate up with it lately.  Her current sneakiness is hiding food wrappers under her bed.  I thought we had a fairly good discussion about it the last time she was busted for it but apparently not.  I was woken up by Pokey telling me that he was going to lose it on her since she had wrappers under her bed again and something all over her nightgown.  Not the greatest way to wake up on one of the few days you were allowed to sleep in.

So I got up and told Hobbit to pull out whatever was under her bed.  She did and produced four prepackaged wrappers of those tiny Rits Bits and tiny Oreos that we put in lunchboxes.  I asked her when she did it and she said "a few days ago".  Currently, she is sitting in her room attempting to come up with a logical explanation of why she is sneaking food.

Pokey is wanting to padlock and chain everything in the kitchen and while this may be effective, I don't want to live like that - plus, it's tacky looking.  I know it's frustrating but I also know - I did it as a little kid too.  My sneaky food of choice was cheese slices, by Kraft.  I would sneak into the fridge and take several slices to hide in my room.  My mother would find hard pieces of cheeses all over the place.  I don't know why I took them, goodness knows I was fed enough.  I just wanted the cheese for some reason.  I also know that I out grew the need to sneak food... I don't remember when but I do know that I stopped.

Everything is up high now - not that it will stop her because she has been climbing since she was three years old, hence the reason we no longer have her princess table and chairs.  I came out one too many times to what looked like a street show balancing act performance.  Problem solving is not her issue - dishonesty is.. and even threats of Santa don't seem to be working.

I want my sweet Hobbit back.

I'm at the very tiny frayed end of my surprisingly long rope.  I know my mother 'cursed' me with the whole "I hope you have a child one day that is just like you" but still... this constant bad behavior phase is just getting to be too much.  I really don't know what else to do - time outs, spankings, manual labor, paying for what she has taken, threats of Santa not coming - nothing is working.  If we are having a test of wills, I fear she may win simply because I am too exhausted over it to fight any more.

I just want my sweet cuddle bug of a girl back.  If you've seen her, could her send her home.. please.  I miss her so much.