The Fish Pond: Yet Another Way We're Lowering the Class Level of the Neighborhood

The past few days have brought more mild temperatures around here, so this afternoon I took advantage of the situation and sent the 3 big kids out to play in the yard with the stipulations that 1) they stay in our yard and 2) they stay out of the mud. They had been running around the back of the house, up and down the steps of our deck, playing that the deck was a pirate ship. At the same time, Nemo had fallen asleep in his bouncy seat in the family room, and I was on one of the many phone conversations I've had the past few days trying to address details associated with my grandfather's hospitalization, which currently has him pissed as all hell.

Trout appeared at the back door with hands that were covered in dirt (note stipulation #2) and went to wash her hands. At about the same time Little Man appeared at the front door saying that Trout and Sunny had been playing in the mud WITH THE HOSE and he hadn't done anything, Mom, not a thing, just watched, but he hadn't done anything wrong. I glared at Trout and ran to the front door. The yard was a disaster, pools of water and mud interspersed with the gnarled tree roots of our cherry blossom, little muddy foot prints and dirt clods across our sidewalk and up the steps, an actual blob of sod in front of the door, and there, laying oh so neat and tidy, was Sunny's dress and her Dora underwear. Sunny, however, was nowhere in sight.

I shouted to Little Man "Where is Sunny?!?" and I heard a sweet little giggle. She was standing on the step in front of the decorative woodwork to the left of our front door completely stark naked, covered in mud from head to toe.

I simultaneously grabbed her and marched her toward the tub, yelled at Trout that she was grounded til Friday and told Little Man to get in the house. Then I went in the bathroom by myself, flushed the toilet to mask the sound, and laughed my head off.

Dunno how I missed the sound of the hose. I expect I'll be served with the "You Must Leave the Neighborhood Because You're Lowering Our Property Values" papers any day now.