By now, if you follow this blog, you’ve realized that my children quite regularly get into shenanigans faster than I can pee. My house is often a trail of toddler destruction, with the remains of Cheerios, goldfish, headless Barbies, and uncapped markers in their wake.
And I cope with that for the most part. But then this happened. And I had to unleash the furry.
The Nerd and I have been teaching children’s ministry for over four years at our present church, and for many more before that at a previous church. Every Wednesday, we head to church with the minions early to make sure we have everything ready for class that night. The church has a nursery with padded floors and walls, a child-proof knob on the door, and lots of baby-proof toys. It’s the perfect place to keep the kids out of my hair entertained.
This past week, everything was ready, my students started arriving, and I heard the Nerd call from down the hall: Mommy, you really, really, need to see this.
But it wasn’t in a, “Look at your brand new car!” tone. It was more of a, “This is why we need a pre-K boarding school,” tone.
That would be half of the nursery floor. Covered in water.
That would be the other half of the nursery floor. Also covered in water. There’s an actual puddle there if you look closely.
Did I mention that one of the pastors was there to witness not only my out-of-control children, but my pseudo-Chernobyl reaction at the sight of it?
What the what?!? Are you kidding me right now? What the crap happened?
Punkin: Goo got a cup and kept pouring water over the floor, over and over.
Me and the Nerd: Get out. Both of you. We have to mop this up because the nursery worker and the other parents will be here any minute.
*Both of us, mopping, blotting, and completely fuming*
Me and the Nerd: Goo! Come here. Why is there water all over the floor?
Goo, totally straight-faced, matter-of-fact: Because I wanted to go ice skating. I need water on the floor to ice skate.
This is that defining moment in parenting where you have to try, with everything in you, to not cave at the cuteness. To hold your ground, teach a lesson, be the tough guy. We totally rocked that.
Cue discussion about respecting other people’s property and umm, oh yeah, NOT DUMPING WATER ON THE FLOOR ANYWHERE. Sigh.
Nerd and I then look at each other and realize that our eldest daughter, who knows better, never thought to maybe come and get us when water Armageddon started?
Cue discussion with Punkin about being a responsible big sister and stepping up when she sees something going on that shouldn’t be going on.
Clearly we couldn’t ignore the madness that ensued. Both Goo and Punkin were grounded from TV, computer, and hand-held games.
Goo made it very clear that she did not want to be “brownded.” I made it very clear that she should never dump water all over the floor again. And that she was still grounded. And I then I hugged her. Because how cute is it that she thinks I’m “brownding” her?