Just one phone call

yes, a 20 minute one, but you would think the kids could just keep playing as usual and stay out of trouble. However, all the mommies out there know that something happens to children when Mommy is on the phone...either they are consumed by sudden fits of whining and crying or a mischievous spirit takes over them. And so the story goes...

About 2 minutes into the conversation, Mariana left a drool mark on the couch cushion. Allia had the bright idea to clean it (my big helper!), so off they ran to the bathroom and returned moments later with handfuls of toilet paper dripping in soapy water from the sink. (I knew those stepping stools would come back to haunt me someday!) They cleaned the couch cushion, which I didn't mind because I can't remember the last time I scrubbed it. Then Mariana quickly lost interest and went on playing elsewhere. Allia, however, went on a cleaning spree. I found her washing walls, furniture, cabinets, the kitchen table and chairs, picture frames, the bathroom floor. Sound great, right? Except that she did not ring out her little wad of toilet paper, so my whole house was dripping in soapy water in a matter of minutes. Well, I finally wised up and asked my friend to hold for a moment. I thanked Allia, handed her a wrung out rag to use, and pointed her toward the dirty refrigerator. After ending the phone conversation,I tried to scrub the walls so the clean spots didn't stand out so much (I didn't realize my walls needed scrubbing!)

Meanwhile, Mariana decided to take advantage of the lack of attention. A sudden burst of noise erupted from my bedroom, and I found the little victim standing as still as I have ever seen her stand with eyes bulging. She had been playing with Daddy's clock radio, which she knows is off limits. She managed to turn the volume all the way up before discovering the power button and nearly blasted her sweet self out of the room. I laughed at her, and she loosened up a bit.

So, I think I will stick to email and blogging for the next few days. No more phone calls, at least for a while. But at least I got a "clean" house out of the deal!