While there, I played 'mommy' for a week to her five children, Livie-Lou, Cam-Cam, Buddy-boy, Lilly-Poppins and Lancer-Prancer, while she on her husband were on a business trip/vacation.
And before I hear any more about leaving my poor husband defenseless at home, let it be known that he was similarly out of town for a business trip to Virginia. I don't know how that somehow makes it better, but people generally breathe a sigh of relief when I say it.
Now, I am not new at this whole 'taking care of children thing', but that doesn't mean that I still didn't get a few surprises along the way. The first was when I went to unload the dishwasher and found that one of the cups in the cupboard was right-side up instead of flipped over like the rest of them. Thinking nothing of it, I quickly flipped it over to stack with the newly cleaned cups. And that was precisely when I, and everything within a two-foot radius, was doused with the lemonade that I had told my niece Lilly to finish earlier.
I swear, that girl is the cutest dang poosie I've ever seen. One minute, she's being a little monster and the next, she's giving you the 'cute' face for five hours.
And believe me you, you cannot deny the cute face.
The little turkey did it so much, her little brother even caught on.
By the end of the week, she was calling it her 'get what I want' face.
She was so excited to have me come.
She even made a chain to count down the days. I heard over and over again how she'd wake up every morning and the first thing she'd want to do is rip a link off her chain. It was pretty dang adorable.
And I can't even begin to express how many times she made me laugh each day. All of the kiddos were entertaining, but every other thing the Lilly-popper said was quotable.
Here are a select few I recorded for you:
Lilly: "Can we paint my nails?.."
Corinner-Elly: "Sure. I have some nail polish that is pink and turns purple in the sun."
Lance: *the whole time* "Ooo.. Nice!"
Lilly: "Are they dry??" *wipes them on my face*
Lilly: "You know what I want?.."
Corinner-Elly: "What?"
Lilly: "Two white horses, to stay the same size, two swy flahters and a carriage."
Corinner-Elly: "Two fly swatters?.."
Lilly: "Yah. So I can whack the ones that fly around my head!"
Lilly: *sniffling* "Corin.. can you get mad at Bennett a little bit because he got mad at me.."
Corinner-Elly: "For pete's sakes, hold still!!"
Lilly: "Four pizza's STEAK?!"
Corinner-Elly: "Thank you, thank you. I backed out of the driveway. Children, save your applause."
Lilly: "Corin...we don't have PAWS we have FINGERS."
Lilly: *while driving* "Can I have a drink of water from your bottle?"
Corinner-Elly: "Sure, but don't spill or I'll have to throw you out on the side of the road."
Lilly: *indignant huff* "Corin.. my mom said 'I'll never kill my Lilly'.."
Lilly: *after a lot of crocodile tears* "I'm sad because I'm just having a rough day.."
Lilly: "Guess what?"
Corinner-Elly: "Chicken butt."
Lilly: "No!! Guess what?.."
Corinner-Elly: "Chicken butt."
Lilly: *frustrated sigh* "Corinner!.. Gue-.. (Thinking twice) Do you know the dirt?"
Corinner-Elly: "Yeah."
Lilly: "Did you know it's worm poo!?"
Corinner-Elly: "What??... No it isn't.."
Lilly: "Yah-huh! My mom told me."
Lilly: "Umm... How does Santa come down the chimney?.. Doesn't he hurt his bum on those?" (pointing to the fireplace logs)
Lilly: "Corin!!! I need you to wipe my bum!" *doing the deed* "Thanks Corin. You're my champion! Well.. my dirty champion."
Corinner-Elly: "Lilly, please go put that little car back in the garage so that it doesn't blow into the road."
Lilly: "It's okay. Mom keeps it dirty so that we can clean up."
Lilly: "Corinner, know what? If you eat something lots and lots, your eyes will turn that color. I want to eat all the candy canes so that they are striped red and white!"
Lilly: "Can we PLEEEEEASE watch another Phineas and Ferb??" *makes cute face, as usual*
Corinner-Elly: "Nope. It's time for bed. But you can have a few Oreos."
Lilly: *excited gasp* "Oreos!! Come on! Oreos people!" (spoken to her siblings with an authoritative gesture)
Lilly: "Can I have a minty mint or gum or something??"
Corinner-Elly: "Nope. You've eaten everything I've got."
Lilly: "Well then what can I have?.."
Corinner-Elly: "Some nice refreshing, cool air."
Lilly: "Corin!.. You don't eat air! You breathe it out."
Bennett: "You breathe it in too, Lill."
Lilly: "Easy for you to say Bennett.."
Corinner-Elly: "Daisy got loose today so I had to spank her bum."
Lilly: "You don't spank dogs Corinner. You konk them."
Corinner-Elly: "Your mom and dad come home in two days."
Lilly: *perks up* "Two... days?! NO!! Don't leave me with these people!"
And as if all of that didn't melt my heart, she proceeded to say things such as:
Lilly: "I'm going to be so, so sad when you leave!"
Lilly: "You could win all the prizes and championships, you have such a beautiful voice."
Lilly: "You are the best mom ever!!"
The second thing I learned is that children really do leave every light on in the house. I thought my parents were being dramatic when I was a kid, but no. Every. Single. Light. Every. Single. Day. I swear I spent the entire trip walking around from room to room flipping off the switches. According to my sister, they inherited this trait from their dad.
And the third (of many) things I learned, was that playing 'mom' to five crazy kids for a week didn't change my desire to have a big family one bit. Since I've been home, multiple people have semi-facetiously asked if the experience made me change my mind on when and how many children I want.
They shouldn't have been surprised when I told them it had the opposite effect. I can't wait to start a family! It's going to be the best!
Because anyone who knows me could tell you I've wanted to have only one occupation for as long as I can remember: to be a mom.
So while some might say that picking up and dropping off, cleaning up after, cooking for and settling down five children sounds exhausting, I say that it was my perfect vacation. A little taste of the future doing my dream job.
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:)
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