On the Homefront

While we were away with friends last weekend, my parents and my sister and brother-in-law were kind enough to watch our kids. This was the first time that both J and I have been away from them overnight, so we were a little nervous at how they'd do for two days of no mom and dad.

The first night got off to a great start. The kids are almost always very well behaved for my mom or sister when they babysit. Friday night was no exception and my mom said the kids were super. She got them down to bed just fine. But everything changed in the darkness of night.

At 2am, Meatball woke up. He didn't go back to sleep until 6am.

My poor mother had to get up with him continuously throughout the night since he just couldn't get settled down. She said he was as sweet as could be, but apparently just wasn't interested in sleeping when mommy wasn't home. Adding insult to injury, he completely drenched himself and every last bit of his bedding in pee. Naturally, in my three pages of instructions, I neglected to say where I keep my spare crib sheets, making for some extra searching in the middle of the night. Sorry, Mom.

At 8:15am, he woke up, cheery as a well-rested bear. Clearly in some sleep deprived state, my mom agreed to take the kids to the zoo with my sister and her family.

Zoo + Saturday = busy.

Now, I wasn't there to witness the next series of events, but word has it that my five year old fell into the tidal pool. And I don't mean her sleeves got a little wet. I mean, she fell head over heels into the tidal touch pool. My sister's description, equally funny here, says that she asked my mom, "Was that one of ours?!?!?"

After some initial panic, Banany was scooped out of the pool by Nana (who, according to Banany, didn't even roll up her sleeves when she reached in to get her). They managed to get her dried off enough to walk in squishy shoes out to the car which Uncle B had gone out to warm up. Banany offered that she was "dry enough" and they could stay, but Nana, in her better judgement said they should probably go home.

If the worst that happens when we go away is that one of my kids falls in a tidal pool and the other pulls an all-nighter, that's not so bad....right?!?!

Uncle B pulling the gang around on our kitchen floor.

Banany at the zoo with Cousin M.
Ok, mom. I think we're even. WHAT on earth did you let my child wear to the zoo? A patterned turtleneck, star pajama pants, and black dress shoes?
And she told me, "Mom, I didn't wear underwear to the zoo either. I was crazy zoo-goer girl."

Indeed you were.