Dad brushes up on daughters' nail polish

It's tough being a dad in a house full of girls.

I'm still trying to figure out the feminine mind. But having two daughters has taught me a few things, like the fact that it's important not to spill the red nail polish.

The other day, I not only kept the nail polish off the carpet, I also managed to paint Bailey's toes and fingernails without turning her into a football mascot.

It came down to a choice of letting her loose with the red nail polish or biting the bullet and doing it myself. As it turned out, I didn't make a mess of it.

I still haven't learned how to braid the girls' hair, but at least I'm getting the hang of this nail polish thing.

Bailey was highly impressed that I could even do such a task. She knows I'm no good with this hair thing.

But if I can master manicures, I might actually be able to tackle this hair stuff some day.

First, I've got to follow up with all that footwear which keeps getting left under the dining room table.

Finding Bailey's favorite pair of tennis shoes can be a major endeavor, particularly during school days when we're in a hurry to get out the door and our 6-year-old has no clue about what she did with them.

In fact, Bailey's favorite expression these days is "no clue." If she's the only one in the room and ketchup gets spilled on the floor, you can ask her how the red stuff got there. "No clue," she replies.

Children have an amazing ability to remember every Disney sitcom, but they can't remember little things like how the ketchup was spilled.

They also can't remember that they left their clothes in the van.

I am constantly amazed how many outfits that Bailey and her older sister, Becca, leave in the vehicle.

At times, our van resembles a rolling clothes closet.

We could have bought a smaller house and used the van as their bedroom. But even the van wouldn't be large enough for all their clothes.

You have to have a wardrobe for all seasons. That's a girl thing. Guys wear the same shirt and pants, summer and winter. Girls wouldn't be caught dead doing that, at least now that they're older.

Bailey used to wear swimming suits around the house even in the middle of winter. But these days, our first grader's willing to expand her wardrobe.

That's a good thing. It's important to be versatile when you have a dog like Cassie. Our Sheltie puppy still views those clothes the kids leave on the living room floor as her personal possessions at times.

I've rescued several outfits from the firm grasp of puppy jaws. I've even saved Buddy a time or two from the teeth of our frisky canine.

Buddy, Bailey's worn-out stuffed bear, is coming apart. My wife, Joni, has sewed him up several times, but there's little fabric left on him.

Truthfully, he looks worse than the Cardinals looked last week at Busch Stadium in their playoff series against the San Francisco Giants.

But he's still a lovable old bear who remains Bailey's constant bedtime companion, provided she remembers where she left him in the house.

When she has "no clue," Joni, Becca and I have to organize a search party.

However, Bailey never seems to be clueless when it comes to spotting the nail polish.

At times, it can make a dad see red, particularly if he has to do the painting.

But it's a task that you just can't brush off, even at my age.

Mark Bliss is a staff writer for the Southeast Missourian.