My my husband's sister, brother-in-law, and nephew came to visit this week. It was not a typical in-law visit. I actually love when they come; it is like a slumber party for old people (Have I mentioned I am the youngest?). But I do panic when they come. When we go home to visit, you walk into their home welcomed by a hint of vanilla and fresh linen smell. Their counters are free of any dead flies, shoes, or cake crumbs. There are freshly folded, fluffy towels in nice, neat stacks in the linen closet. There is no dust. If you open a drawer (we all know how nosey I am in other people’s bathrooms) one lone toothbrush is neatly lying there – very clean and sterile. All the beds are made and we sleep on a queen pillow top mattress with extra blankets and quilts just beside the bed incase it gets chilly. They had to have gone through shock at my house. They probably had to stop at a hotel before they even got out of town to “clean-up.” Poor people.
The slept in my daughter’s full size, bought-it-at a-surplus-store mattress with 100 count sheets I washed and put on their bed moments before they entered. There were some extra fleece blankets at the top of someone's closet if they looked hard enough. They were welcomed by the smell of my baby’s diarrhea diaper. They woke up to the screams of my baby running a fever. (To throw even more luck on this situation, we never heard him cry.) They shared a bathroom with my potty trained, bad aiming son. They were exposed to my middle child running naked through the house and peeing outside more than inside. They even pitched in and picked up the fly swatter to kill a few of the million flies that swarmed in the kitchen. God bless their souls!
The slept in my daughter’s full size, bought-it-at a-surplus-store mattress with 100 count sheets I washed and put on their bed moments before they entered. There were some extra fleece blankets at the top of someone's closet if they looked hard enough. They were welcomed by the smell of my baby’s diarrhea diaper. They woke up to the screams of my baby running a fever. (To throw even more luck on this situation, we never heard him cry.) They shared a bathroom with my potty trained, bad aiming son. They were exposed to my middle child running naked through the house and peeing outside more than inside. They even pitched in and picked up the fly swatter to kill a few of the million flies that swarmed in the kitchen. God bless their souls!
They have one child. He is adorable. He is like a miniature Indiana Jones. He walks like my husband, talks like my husband, even raises his eyebrows like my husband. He also could not be more perfect in our eyes. But did I mention they only have one child? We have THREE -- three dirty, hyper spawns. Oh, they are sweet, but loud and messy -- But not our nephew. Let me just lay out the facts:1. We went to an amusement park. My sweet dear nephew used all his tickets to buy gifts for my 3 punks. My daughter stocked up on the ever so valuable glow in the dark jacks and jumbo plastic insects.
2. When taking all 8 people on a car ride to the other side of the city, my sweet dear nephew sits beside my screaming 3 year old. While screaming for apple juice the entire way, my nephew tries to play with him to calm him down.
3. The one time I actually bought my dear sweet nephew a toy, he leaves it at the house for my three year old to play with once he is gone.
4. He made his bed every morning.
5. He put is dishes in the sink.
6. He covered his mouth when he coughed.
7. He ate my cooking.
I love that kid. Have I mentioned how precious he is? Have I also mentioned they only have one? And their house is perfect. And they seem so clean. I have three! And they spent their hard earned vacation living with us! Maybe I should stop now before we become a basketball team or a city dump! Please come back. I really can buy a pillow top mattress and spray more Lysol! I love my in-laws!
1 comment:
Your children are like mine. Your house sounds like mine. Eerie.
Children that are wild and crazy end up becoming very interesting adults. I am proud to say that two of my children are fairly normal, responsible, and law abiding. My middle child is still trying to find himself and I am sure one day he will. I miss those days when my children were still young and every day was a surprise. A duck and possum in the bathroom, one hundred mating toads in the yard (it was my birthday surprise), and eating my daughter’s salad that she picked from the wild. It was the first time I ate a flower. Treasure every day, every surprise, and every moment.
Post a Comment