Leaving a trail

So I've decided to change my 14-year-old's name to Gretel.

She must think she'll get lost because everywhere she goes; she makes sure to leave a little trail.

Ya know, a little something to help her find her way back or to remember where she's been.

That's the only thing that seems to make sense. For instance, her candy stash, leftover gum wrappers and wadded-up dollars sit piled on the kitchen counter right next to her phone, along with a few ponytail holders and a stray bobby pin so that way she can find her way back to social life. A few feet away near the sink is her half eaten bowl of cereal and a barely drank juice cup. She can't rinse them out and put away in the dishwasher because then she'll forget where she was.

Gotta leave a trail!

On the other side of the kitchen, on the floor by the door, is a couple pair of shoes so she knows where the exit is and then up on the counter next to the stove sits some bread crumbs and a glob of grape jelly to remember where the food is. Didn't Gretel leave bread crumbs? Think so!

On the floor leading to the living room is one sock, five feet from that is the matching sock, then when you reach the couch, sits a pair of basketball shoes. That way she doesn't lose her way back to the kitchen. On each end of the coffee table lay empty applesauce containers and on the floor between the coffee table and t.v. sit two more ponytail holders so she remembers how to get from the couch to the TV without being misled. Of course the laptop, headphones and computer cords sit on one end of the couch to remind her of where to come and rest. Upstairs in the bathroom she leaves a lot of reminders so she doesn't forget where she spends a good majority of her time.

The hair straightener lays plugged in on the counter, the hairspray and smoothing spray stand together on the corner, and the comb and brush lay next to them with her dark strands of hair still attached. Again, more ponytail holders and bobby pins are spread aimlessly on the floor so she can find the window and linen closet.

Just in case she forgets the path from the sink to the shower, she's dropped her pajamas in the middle of floor to remind her. Her trail to the family room in the basement is marked with a headband on the stairs and some snack wrappers and a water bottle on the end table, to help her find her way back to the couch I'm assuming.

Of course, ore pony tail holders lead the way to her bedroom (must be her crumb of choice) and once in her bedroom, follow the trail of dirty clothes and wadded up socks to her bed. If unsure of the location of the dressers, you have to look for the wrinkled shirts that were tried on but rejected and left in a heap.

The route to her closet, in case it's too difficult to find, is marked with random flip flops and maybe knee pad or two that fell out of her volleyball bag. I'm just so glad she's smart enough to leave trails so she doesn't take a chance of getting lost.

I'd hate to have her roaming about with no idea how to return to her safe areas. I'm not there all the time to direct her or help her when if she gets misplaced. This way, she feels secure about where she's going and how to return.

At least I think that's her philosophy?