Not for the faint of heart

Children should come with warning labels ---which should be etched on their foreheads and which should not fade until the child is at least 7 years old--- to the effect that they are not to be left alone with anything that you would like to preserve.

This is because some of us, despite having lived through three other 4 year olds, CAN'T SEEM TO REMEMBER THE BASIC RULES OF SELF-PRESERVATION IN PARENTING.

Consider Exhibit 1:




These are the remnants of two of the dollies that Matty was playing with this morning.  I left them displayed on my loom (flaming idiot that I am), where I had set them up to be photographed.  I came home from Isabel's violin lesson and found him in a chair with the shredded remains of my dolls. The same dolls that three other children failed to destroy because I USED TO BE SMART ENOUGH TO TAKE THEM AWAY AFTER A WHILE.  Perhaps the hour of gluing, grumbling, and golf language that I have in front of me will serve to remind me that THE SMALL CANNOT BE TRUSTED!  Add one more thing to the list of items that -- unlike Legos-- don't just snap back together after you take them apart.