Ch-ch-ch-chia Gnome

It happened again.  

It had been fifteen months since our last Gnoming, which occurred when we brought SS home from the hospital.  No one had ever revealed themselves as our Gnomers, and after much speculation about the culprits, life had returned to normal, other than the gnome that now takes up permanent residence on our stoop.

And then...

on Saturday morning while my family was still soundly sleeping, I tiptoed downstairs to sneak out on an early morning half-marathon training run with a friend (8.7 miles, holla!!). When I opened the front door, I found this sitting on our stoop.

WE'VE BEEN GNOMED AGAIN!!!!!!!

J later told me that he could hear my squealing from our bedroom, and when he came downstairs later that morning and saw the Chia Gnome box on the console table, he immediately knew what all the fuss had been about.

J and I still don't know who? or why?, but it sure is fun making our list of suspects.  I have long suspected that the third Gnoming may have been a thoughtful, copy-cat Gnoming - something to make us smile when we arrived home with our brand new onesie-clad spitter-upper. I kind of suspect the same about this Chia Gnome - another copy-cat Gnoming? But maybe I am totally wrong - maybe one of our dear friends is way more persevering and secretive than I give him or her credit for. Maybe all those incredulous proclamations of denial are Oscar-worthy performances engineered to continue years worth of gnome-related mysteries

My prime suspects at this time, at least in regard to the last two Gnomings, are my neighbors. Mainly due to proximity, and general thoughtfulness. And that I saw her in her driveway late Friday night (although her and her husband both work at night.).  However, I have another friend who drives by my house on her way to work each morning (although not on Saturdays...).

It's a mystery.

And we love it.

So thank you, mysterious Gnomer, whoever you are!! We love our Chia Gnome and applaud your sneaky, long-suffering skills, and ability to lie directly to our faces.

(To read about past Gnomings, click here, here, and here.)