Joy

Clementine and Sidda

I was standing right there, next to the bathtub.  Next thing I knew: screams, splashes. I turned ninety degrees to the left to discover our cat Sidda in the bathtub with Clementine.  Sidda leapt, leaving Clementine alone in the tub, crying and bleeding from one scratch on her arm and another on her chest.

"Clementine," I asked, "did you grab Sidda and pull her in the tub?"

"Yes," Clementine answered--between sobs--in her smallest, saddest voice.

"Honey, kitties don't like it when they get wet," I said.

"Like it," Clementine said, nodding.

Generous amounts of Neosporin, two Spiderman and two plain Band-Aids later, the Wild Orange sleeps diapered, lotioned, and dressed.  In her play pen, since she took it upon herself to remove a poopy diaper (of the diarrhea variety) in her crib, today.  Her crib bedding hasn't yet made it out of the dryer.

Clementine will be fine.  I have a couple months of cold weather to try to convince Jim that Sidda should not take up residence outside.  Thank God Charleigh wasn't in the bathtub with her sister. 

It's been one of THOSE days with all three off my delightful offspring.

Cade spent most of the morning writing a three-page essay on why he should speak respectfully to Jim.  I heard many sighs, moans, and pencil thwacks on formica.  Upon Jim's return from a day of waiting for vehicle repairs, Cade discovered his own failure to shut the lid of the deep freezer.  Five days ago. 

Charleigh pooped out the top of her diaper first thing this morning, through her new pajamas, onto my new pajamas.  She has refused to nap, today, unless held. 

Clementine went napless, today, thanks to two unfortunate incidents with diarrhea. She decided to play with Jim's eyeglasses and bent them (beyond repair, I suspect).  Also, she found a fountain pen and drew all over her upholstered chair, limbs, and stomach.  This prior, of course, to her party with the cat, in the bathtub.

I would try to write a conclusion oozing with profundity, but--since my dishwasher is yet unrepaired--I need to fellowship with my dishwashing liquid.  I reckon it's one surefire way to experience Joy. :)