What Happens When My Monsterette is Bored

My mini me monster is now 3 years old. She is the love of my life, however, there are times, where she just KNOWS how and when to push my buttons. 

Times like a few weeks ago. We were at a lake edge fishing with my boyfriend. Having been there for a few hours, my lovely daughter, Autumn, decided she was very bored. After having told her she didn't run things and was not the boss, she folded her arms across her chest, sat at the edge of the dock and pouted for about fifteen minutes. 

I turned around to continue fishing for a few minutes, cast out the line, and waited for a few minutes. Just as I got a nibble, I heard a very distinct 'plop' in the water on one corner of the deck. I slowly turned my head to the side, to see Autumn smiling devilishly, open hand over the water. "Oops," she said still smiling. "I don't like the way you said that," I said to her, grimacing at what I saw as I walked past her. Her brand new black and pink sneaker was floating in the water. 

I squinted my eyes and turned to frown at her, but she wasn't there. She had already moved to the other side of the dock, and had her hand out over the water again. By the time I uttered the first "No!" in my string of nos at her, she had already dropped the matching shoe into the water on the opposite side of the dock. 

Hellion, beast, brat... the list of names for her went on and on in my head.... I was so upset. Sometimes it sucks having such a smart child. She knew that by acting up and upsetting me, we would leave almost immediately, and she was right. 

I climbed down into the grassy edge of the water beneath the deck, and retrieved her shoes, with much effort. Kept an eye out for snakes and turtles, especially snappers. 

After I climbed back up onto the dock, I grabbed her hand and led her back to the car. My boyfriend could not believe she did that, his thoughts of her as innocent, were murdered. After kissing my incredulous boyfriend good bye, Autumn and I left. And I banned her to her room for a couple hours. 

Do you know what she did while she was in her room?? That little brat cuddled into her bed, and fell asleep... Le sigh. 

What did I learn in this instance? Never let a devious smart child be bored.