Big Mother-of-a-Bug in the Laundry Basket

It's laundry-line season. Not only because I now have two kidlets (both pukers), but also because every day is hot and thirsty.

Shortly after we moved into our new house, I told my husband I needed a laundry tree (no room for a proper laundry line). He objects, out of principle, to towels that feel like sandpaper on the nipples, however, he understands the illogical rationale behind pumping power into an air conditioner to cool our house, then paying to heat up a laundry dryer. It makes no sense. The sun will do it for free. And I do love free!

We have a smart metre, so we fill the washing machine with clothes and soap and set it to delay to start at 5 a.m. Then, when we awake groggily from our various noctural adventures with the kiddios, I hang out the laundry for the day (with bamboo clothes pegs).

Tonight, I went out to take downt he laundry with Amelia. I brought Iain some jalapeno and cheddar corn bread, then I parked Amelia in the bumbo beside the laundry hamper and started to drop clothes pegs into the basket and clothes into the hamper. Then suddenly something was moving in the laundry basket and I am ashamed at the shrill shreik that escaped my lips. I am also ashamed that I took a leap back, ready to bolt without my baby.

When Iain came to my rescue, I was wielding a bamboo tomato stake and prodding the red checkered boxers that seemed to be moving in the laundry basket. I was a bit shy when he had to dig way down into the depths of our clothes to fish out the big winged creature. I shreiked again, to my own dismay. Apparently it was a cicada. At least that's what Iain said. All I have to say is "Ew" and "Thank goodness we decided to keep the ugly chain-link fence!"

Isaac and Cole jumping

Cole reads to Amelia

Cole reads to Amelia

Cole at Swimming Lessons

Face injury

Amelia screamed in the car for nearly two hours on the way home from Ottawa, which was bettter than nearly three hours on the way there. Alas, I hadn't clipped her nails recently and she scratched her face up pretty badly.

This morning, Mark commented jokingly that she looked as if she'd been in a brawl.

Later, Cole said to me, "Amelia has an owie on her face. Her was in a bar fight."

A Quick Trip to the Library

On our way home from swimming lessons, I thought I'd stop in for a quick trip to the library. NOT to look at books, only to pick up two videos on hold and collect Cole's first Reader's Club prize. I had both kids with me, but I still figured it'd be a quick trip if I just went in and did these two things.

I took Amelia in her car seat and Cole held my hand. We went straight to the room where the holds are kept and I took them to the librarian and we checked them out. Then, we showed her Cole's Reading Club log and she said we had to go upstairs to the Children's floor to collect our prize. That is when I should have just gone home. But I didn't.

We ambled over to the elevator, got in and Cole pushed the button. The elevator gave that sudden negative-g feeling and Cole got worried. We quickly got out of the elevator and found the Children's Department librarian. She gave us a poster and some stickers for Cole. Amelia began to cry. I popped the soother back in.

We went back to the elevator. Cole said he didn't want to go in the elevator. I said I couldn't carry Amelia and hold his hand on the stairs, so we'd have to use the elevator. He agreed hesitantly but said he was worried. When the doors shut and the elevator began to move, he began to cry. Amelia began to wail again. I popped the soother back in. The elevator stopped and the doors opened. I scooped Cole up in my free arm and hobbled towards the exit with two screaming children. Everyone looked at me pitifully. If only they knew the rest of the story to come. They would have saved their pity.

Cole agreed to walk when we arrived at the exit doors and he pushed the automatic door openers. We walked through the parking lot and were nearly at the car when Cole said, "I have to pee." I could hardly believe my luck. I said, "You have to pee?!?" He said, "Yes. I have to pee."

I looked around at the bushes and shrubs and then looked back at the library. We made a break for it. I said, "Hold it, Buddy. Hold it." And we ran towards the library. Inside, we ran to the washrooms. I plunked the screaming Amelia on the floor and ran into a stall and pulled down Cole's pants and plunked him onto the toilet. Yay! We'd made it.

I turned to close the stall door and Cole's penis got away from us and sprayed all over his pants!

I hadn't brought the diaper bag into the library. I weighed the options of letting him walk buck naked back to the car, or making him wear wet clothes. Then I saw Amelia's yellow receiving blanket on her lap. I took it and folded it in half to form a big yellow triangle. Then I knotted it around Cole's waist, toga-style. I put Amelia's soother back in.

And we walked back to the car some forty five minutes (and several gray hairs) later.