Maxi pad, pumpkin, and a wet floor: What the girls did this week

Last week we went on our annual beach vacation with our friends Cindy and James and their two kiddos. It was nothing short of spectacular! Selina and Keira both loved the ocean. Selina especially loved it because she is a "mermaid".

Ryan got to kayak for an afternoon, I got to go shopping in the cute beach town and finish my summer read while sitting in a chair with my feet dipped in the Gulf of Mexico. Selina and Keira picked a ton of shells and saw sand crabs and fish.

The weather was perfect. The ocean was sparkly, warm, and calm. All of this bliss is just 11 hours away from us!  One of the many benefits of living in the south.

Being back home was bittersweet. As much as we missed our vacation spot, we were glad to sleep in our own beds again. During our stay at the beach, I had to sleep in the same room with Keira all week since she woke up every other hour screaming and wanting a "knak" aka snack.  Ryan got to sleep all by himself in the room we nicknamed "the love den". It was a single room at the bottom of the house that ended up being the most desirable place to rest for us parents who had sick, restless, non-sleeping children.

The evening we got home we unpacked and cleaned the house. The next day it was all laundry, like 6 or 7 loads. My last load was a bunch of beach towels that wouldn't see the sun again for several months...or so I thought. More on that in a minute.

During our stay, Selina pushed the boundaries of obedience several times. (Never really a vacation huh parents???!!) At one time she had to spend a portion of the evening in a big time out. She had a bad attitude and slammed the door to the bedroom. Not cool! I went into the room to address these issues and began a conversation about how we are to be respectful to adults and on and on. Suddenly I saw something on the wall that I hadn't noticed before. It was a giant overnight maxi pad stuck there in all it's glory. It's packaging was scattered all over the floor. Evidently Selina had rummaged through my bag while she was in time out and decorated the wall. (Don't freak out ya'll, they were brand new ones). So right in the middle of our serious conversation I could feel the corners of my lips beginning to curve upwards heading straight towards a grin and then fits of laughter. I used all my mighty powers to suppress the urge to giggle while I finished my conversation, then I pulled the maxi off the wall and headed out of the room. I realized that one day I'll wish the whole room is plastered with maxi pads, but Selina will be safely in it. Soon enough she'll storm off in her car. Or maybe not, depending on gas prices.

The day after we got home I had to go get some groceries. We went to my new favorite place, Hendersonville produce. They had a bunch of mini pumpkins there, so I let each girl pick one out. Then I started tossing a bunch of veggies in my cart. I looked back to see if the girls were following me and noted Keira had a funny look on her face. She had been trying to eat her pumpkin and spitting out little orange pieces as we went along. So I said, "Keira, that's gross! Don't eat your pumpkin!" Then she said back in her cute Keira voice, "Sorry Mama!"  I think what she heard though was, "Keira, don't eat ALL of your pumpkin!" because she went right back to chewing chunks of it off and then using her tongue to push the pieces out. All the little pieces crowded on her chin into a little pumpkin goatee. Oh well, she's eaten worse.

Remember the beach towels? Here's the story:

After lunch today, Selina and Keira stood at the window in the kitchen yelling to the bugs outside. I figured that while they were getting along, I would go get some stuff done and I let them be.

A few minutes went by and I went to go see what they were doing because I hadn't heard any fighting or screaming - just lots of talking and giggling. I walked into the living room and immediately slipped on the floor. Just as Selina saw me she said, "Mom, me and Keira are cleaning the floor!"  Both of them had a wash cloth in hand, stepping in puddles of water. I saw a bucket resting on my coffee table. My entire hardwood floor was doused in buckets of water. There was a 1/4 inch of standing water, everywhere. I had a 200 sq ft lake in my house. I'm pretty sure I saw minnows swim by and a place to launch your boat by the couch.

"GIRLS!!!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING???" I said loudly!

To which Selina replied calmly, "I already said, we are CLEANING the floor."

"Ok, you both need to go to your rooms while I clean this up. Daddy is not going to be pleased." I said back.

"Fine!!" Selina shouted as she stormed off to her room.

Keira, dressed only in her super absorbent training panties, was soaked but supremely happy. I put her in her room and trapped her in with the baby gate. Then I got out all of the beach towels out of the cupboard (just freshly washed, folded and put away!)  and spent a long time soaking up the water.

The floor is cleaner I must say.

The End.