It makes no difference where we put it, what precautions we take or how much we don’t want them to get into that candy cache, my kids are like thieves in the night.  Not only are they good at it, but they change their tactics as they learn them.  Like the machine that teaches itself, my children learn from their mistakes so they cannot make them again.

We have been making sure to ration the latest candy rush that was Halloween in our house.  My son learned from his old man and decided that a stupid glow in the dark pumpkin was not cool and certainly was not large enough for the 15 neighborhoods he intended to cover in the 4 hours allotted following darkness.  He decided this year he would take the pillow case from that linen closet, and just in case he would make another pillow case part of his costume in case of the need for a backup.  Like I said, they are getting smarter, even if he is only 7.

The real Ninjas in my household however are not the older children, but the masters are those two youngest boys at 3 and 4.  They are the ones that are home most of the time and can make a plan and carry it out in the finest detail.  For example, my 3 year old was recently caught moving a chair across our hardwood floors to reach the candy bucket that Dad unfortunately left on the counter.  (I left the stash out while I was recently checking those peanut butter cups for poison – it’s a dirty job but a sacrifice I am willing to make for my children’s safety.) He found that if you use the cushions from the couch in the living room, they are not able to be heard and we cannot detect when he is sneaking the last of the Junior Mints.  Can you see what I am dealing with here?  They are like Ninjas!  I would not be so upset except for the fact that I love Junior Mints!  I’m going to call in the guy from "Over The Hedge" and have him install the Turbo Pelter 2000.  Yeah, it might be illegal here in this state, but I can assure you it won’t be that effective with the Genuine kids!