Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Something You Have To See To Believe

Today Julia, Ben and Emma wanted to play in the sprinklers. Not an unusual request. They put on their suits, I helped them with sunscreen, and they went into the front yard. I was doing things in the house, occasionally looking out the window and watching them run and shriek through the water. At one point I looked out to see Emma and Ben squatting over a puddle that had formed in the driveway--also a usual pastime. Then Julia came in to get plastic dinosaurs, and they played with those. I was in the kitchen, making brownies for a beach party we're going to tomorrow, and when I came to the window to check on them again--my heart dropped.

They were covered in mud! Anyone who knows Ben knows that he (used to) loathe being dirty. Even getting his hands dirty was never fun for him. He hated the beach for years, he hates sandy playgrounds and won't wear shoes in them. If he gets dirty, he changes his clothes. Or at least he used to. Today he was leaping around like an aboriginal tribesman. And his sisters were doing the same. It was kind of horrifying.

Finally they wanted to come in---no way! Not through my house! I sent them through the garage and shed, and put on the back sprinklers, where I told them to get as clean as they could before coming in to shower. This was not very clean! They kept coming to the back door, asking if they were clean enough yet...to which I'd say no, go get cleaner. Finally I took pity on them (and myself, since I was tired of sending them back to the sprinklers) and let them into the kitchen. There they had to wipe their feet on a dog towel, and then I followed them to the bathroom to get them into the shower--making sure they didn't touch walls, furniture, or the white flowered shower curtain in the process! They went in bathing suits and all (Ben's looks pretty clean but we'll have to see what laundry magic I can perform on the girls', unless we want rags of Lycra....) and spent about 20 minutes in there with soap and shampoo.

They came out warm, clean and looking like my kids again! I could almost pretend it never happened...but here are the photos!

--Jen