I just got back from an unexpected trip to Mississippi, and after an extended car ride with Bean, I needed a nap and a drink…and maybe some chocolate.

Though my trip was last-minute, I wasn’t too concerned about leaving during the school week, because my husband is always on top of things when it comes to the kids. Half the time, they don’t even realize I’m gone, because Dad gets everything done while also spoiling them rotten.

Even though I wasn’t worried, I still wondered what condition I would find the house in when I returned. Given that I left in the middle of a busy work/school week, I knew that dinner and homework would keep the guys busy enough. I was pleasantly surprised to find the dishes done, clutter put away, beds made, and overall, a relatively clean house.

But, unfortunately for my kids, my “magic mom eye” sees all and knows all. When they got home from school, I asked them, “Did Dad let you eat dinner in the living room?” To which they replied, “How did you KNOW?”

Then I asked, “Was someone eating icing cookies at the computer instead of the table?” G-Man’s sheepish, guilty grin confirmed what I already knew. The Heathens were amazed that I knew their secrets, and I reminded them that my “magic mom eye” is better than Sherlock Holmes or Gil Grissom. They can’t fool me.

In case you were wondering, I’ll be spending my morning cleaning greasy fingerprints off the coffee table and vacuuming smeared icing crumbs off the floor and office chair. The difference between clean and “Mom Clean” is always a dead giveaway.