Uh-ohs

For two days and one night this week I was in charge of not three, but five children. My friend, Rachel, went to the hospital to have a sweet little baby girl (and Lord knows we need more of those in this world--seriously, we do), so I took care of her oldest two while she did all the hard work.

Really. If you've never done it, just let me assure you: having a baby is hard work. Really hard work. Rachel deserves some serious medals of honor just for doing that, and then another trophy or two for checking out of the hospital a mere 24 hours later. Wow.

Anyway, it was happy chaos at our home for those two days, and we did manage to have a few "uh-oh" moments. That happens, even with five well-behaved children. Sure, all three of these kids were mindful, kind, and happy (at least most of the time), but all five of them are aged 3 and under. Five toddlers = guaranteed uh-oh.

Although you wouldn't believe it to see them, little cherubs that they are, peacefully watching a movie together.

Yes, I make my children stand up to watch movies. I like to think that they are still active on some level. And yes, I did pop in a video or two (or three...or more) when we were hosting Rachel's kids. Folks. There were five of them. I was outnumbered in the worst way. Some videos were necessary for general sanity.

Anyway, the funniest uh-oh moment occurred on the second day. I think we were all getting a little stir crazy. A bad winter storm had blown in, leaving us stuck in the house with temperatures outside hovering around 12 degrees, and everyone, myself included, was getting a little cranky. A little wild. A little grabby.

Do you see what's wrong with this picture? The plant in that pot is a Dragonwing Begonia, a thin, wispy plant with fragile little peachy-pink leaves. The stems in the front are hot pink geranium blooms. Someone (and I really have no idea who, since I caught no one in the act) thoughtfully picked all of the blossoms off of my just-bloomed geranium and replanted them in my begonia pot. Later I was told that they had been "planting" the "pretty pink flowers."

Hmmm.

Seriously? Not a big deal. I was initially irritated, but then I thought, hey. It's a plant. Big deal. It will grow back. Move on.

And truthfully, that was about the worst uh-oh we experienced during those two days, as long as you don't count my own uh-oh:

See how I made lemonade out of lemons by

sticking the geranium stems in water?

That, my friends, in my favorite, heavy-duty plastic spatula. And yes, it broke due to the sheer massive resistant power of my chocolate chip cookie dough. I shrieked out of surprise when this happened. And now I'm a little sad, since that was my favorite spatula. And it was purple, my still-favorite color if I admit to you my deepest, darkest secrets.

Ostensibly it's red. But deep down, it's still purple.

Oh, and those cookies? My friend Kristin first found them; go here to experience the pure, buttery magic.

That's two cups-worth of buttery magic, by the way.

You're welcome.

ps: The new baby's name is Adleigh Rose! Welcome, Adleigh! You are loved.