Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Why I have an answering machine

So last night I got to bed early and actually had a decent night's sleep. I got the big girls off to school with no drama. And even had a little quiet time to myself before the little ones woke up. I had gotten them fed and the 4 us of were playing in the living room. Then the phone rang. I know I have an answering machine but I have problems just letting the phone ring. Probably from all those years of not having a answering machine. Or it could be that I crave adult conversation even if it's with a telemarketer. So big deal, I answered the phone. Except for one thing: I have TWIN TODDLERS.

So the phone is in the kitchen and I unlatch the gate to the kitchen to get to the phone. And guess who is right behind but little Search and Destroy. In the meantime Elliott is not happy about being left alone in the living room so while answering the phone I go to check on him. I have a short phone conversation and realize "It's QUIET" which is never a good thing when kids are awake. I see the gate is unlatched and go back to the kitchen to find 2 chocolate covered peanuts. They had gotten into the Ovaltine mix and were covered in cocoa dust, as was my kitchen floor. The good thing is that my laziness has paid off because they are still in their pajamas. So, I sweep up the mess but notice they are leaving chocolate footprints all over the place.

No big deal. I'll just throw them in the shower. I get Elliott situated in his swing that I keep in my bedroom and get them showered. So now I've got them all in my room and I'm in the process of getting us all dressed so we can go to the grocery store (and that's an event in itself). Well while I was changing Corinna, Dakotta found the diaper ointment. Now in all fairness she was doing what you are supposed to do with diaper ointment. She was smearing it all over her butt. Unfortunately her skinny butt does not need more than about a marble size squirt and not the golf ball size amount she had already dispensed. What's that saying "You can't unsqueeze the toothpaste"?

Anyway, I get her cleaned up and go get her dressed. I get Elliott changed and then we head downstairs. As I turn the corner I see Rebecca's door wide open and realize Corinna has been MIA for the past 5 minutes. I find her in Rebecca's room covered in PINK. She had found Rebecca's play make up and was giving herself a makeover. Now I have to admit my first thought when I saw her was to curse the grandparents that bought the gift. But in all fairness to said grandparents, I was the one that bought the Ovaltine. And the diaper ointment. And the cereal.

Yes, let me tell you about the cereal. In my 8 years of parenting I have learned that 2 year olds are diabolically opposed to cereal IN a cereal box. I could have fed a small nation with the amount of cereal I have swept up, dumped in the sink, and vacuumed in the last 8 years. So in my rush to get the girls in the shower I had left the gate to the kitchen unlatched AGAIN. So after cleaning up Corinna (just 10 minutes out of the shower) all I had to do was get Elliott in his carseat so we could get out the door. I'm ready to get them out the door before they cause any more when I'm greeted with a kitchen floor covered in cocoa puffs. All this in less than an hour from the point, I made the fatal error of answering the phone. Yep, all this because I answered the phone. So if you call my house and I don't answer, you'll know why.

1 comment:

Jill said...

I thought I would share an idea that has worked for me in the past with telemarketers. Well, we don't want to be rude to them, so we end up talking . . . or at least trying to talk (hard to do when they talk fast and hard to us). Next time you answer to a telemarketer, give the phone to the twins. They will LOVE the phone and the telemarketer will eventually hang up. :)