Written by Rowonna McNeely – One of Kiera’s favorite games to play with us at home is hide and seek. I have to admit we have a fun time playing it with her. She is getting better at hiding and not giving her location away.
She has learned to hide and wait until an area has been searched and then sneaks off to hide in that area. One of her preferred hiding spots is directly behind us. She will sneak up behind us while we are counting and then shadow us through the house.
It would work too…if we didn’t have a pier and beam house. There’s nothing like feeling the floor bounce beneath your feet because someone is so excited about her hiding spot.
Saturday night, we played a few rounds of hide and seek. We had played a couple of times, when my timer on the oven went off. I called a pause in the game and pulled my cake out of the oven. While I was in the kitchen, I heard the dogs at the door. I opened the door and let them in. Little did I know what a hide and seek mistake that would be for me.
We started our game back up with Aaron counting and Kiera and I hiding. As he counted I quickly ran into our bedroom and searched for a good hiding spot. My gaze settled on the bed. I had been doing laundry off and on through out the day and there was a pile of clothes waiting to be folded. I swiftly hopped on the bed, covered myself with the bedding and pulled the clothes around me.
I heard Aaron call out “Ready or not, here I come!” and smiled to myself as I mentally patted myself on the back. I listened to Aaron’s footsteps as he wandered from room to room. I slowed my breathing as I heard his footsteps moving to our bedroom door.
Suddenly, I heard a jingle of a dog collar and four paws landed beside me. I peeked out from the covers and was met with Sloane’s cold, black nose. “Sloane!” I quietly whispered. “Honey, go on.”
Sloane looked at me and then promptly laid her head on my belly. Needless to say, it didn’t take Aaron long to find me.
We played through Kiera’s turn and mine. When it came back to Aaron’s turn, I had a brilliant idea. Well, maybe not as brilliant as funny. Aaron turned his back to the room and began to count. I tiptoed to the recliner, knelt down and began to squeeze behind it.
Now, the reason I found it originally funny was because I was maybe 5 feet from where Aaron stood counting. I was planning on being a little silly and hiding like an ostrich… you know with my head hidden and my feet hanging out.
It almost worked until Ziggy decided to help. I’m not sure what my 70-pound Boxer had in mind when he began to chew on my feet. I wiggled further behind the chair trying to escape his nipping teeth.
I tried to hold in my snickers as he flopped on the floor and proceeded to attack my feet. I really did! As I held my giggles in, I felt the floor began to bounce. Kiera had decided to try and hide behind Aaron, except she was so excited she couldn’t quit jumping up and down.
I heard Aaron pause his counting and explain to Kiera that he could feel her behind him. I, on the other hand, continued to struggle with the monster that had decided I was trying to play with him by sacrificing my feet.
Aaron started to count again and as he got closer to 30, I lost it and burst out laughing. “Ziggy!!!” I exclaimed between laughter. “Stop!!” I was stuck. I couldn’t back up because of the biting Boxer and I couldn’t go forward because of the wall.
Thankfully, Aaron took pity on me and moved Ziggy away while I crawled out. I feel certain I won’t be hiding behind the recliner again.
On Aaron’s last time, Kiera and I hid in her playroom and waited until he headed for the bedrooms. We shot each other thumbs up and headed in different directions to hide. I ran for the couch in the living room. I hastily settled in the corner of the couch and piled the throw pillows and blankets over me.
It was perfect! I could peek out through the holes in the afghan as Aaron searched. He found Kiera and then they teamed up searching for me.
As I was congratulating myself, I heard the jingle of Sloane’s collar… again. I closed my eyes and tried to make myself invisible to her. All of a sudden, a cold nose was pressed to my closed eyelid and I felt a flurry of air as Sloane began to sniff me.
“Sloane!” I whispered. “Sloane. Stop it. Go lay down.” I tried to push her gently away. Somehow she took that as an invitation to come closer. She stepped on top of the pillows that were covering my lap and pressed her nose in my hair.
About that time, Aaron and Kiera rounded corner. They couldn’t quit laughing as they discovered me.
Let’s just say the next time we play hide and seek, Ziggy and Sloane are staying outside!
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Rowonna McNeely
Graphic Designer - Mommy to Kiera
Rowonna McNeely works with her husband, Aaron, at Willie’s T’s in the Art Department, regularly volunteers in the community, and has her hands full with her daughter, Kiera, along with two dogs and one cat.
Rowonna is a graduate of May High School (Go Tigers!) and grew up on a dairy farm. She enjoys reading, creating, swimming, and planning events. She’s also a bit of a klutz.
