This has nothing to do with the baby, but today I was thinking about some of the crazy things my sisters and I did growing up, such as wrestling in the dark and setting tiger traps. My two older sisters were always cooking up plans for trouble, and we had some good times, that's for sure. Well, I just found a story that I wrote a few years ago about one of our capers, and I thought I'd share. This one happened when I was three years old.
“I’ve got a great idea,” Emily said to Cindy and me as the three of us huddled in a small knot in the backyard. “Let’s put the sprinkler in the living room.” We immediately agreed. In those days Emily and Cindy were always cooking up one adventurous scheme after another, and I usually just followed whatever instructions they gave me. Whenever a parent needed distracting, I was the one sent as a decoy while the other two did the dirty work. Neither of my parents would have suspected me of such a role because I looked so innocent. This time Emily and Cindy shooed me into the house to distract my dad while they unwound the hose and got the sprinkler ready.
I went straight to my parent’s bedroom, where my dad was taking care of the baby, and stood there, holding one hand behind my back, my small face upturned to look coyly into my dad’s eyes. He smiled back and boosted me up to sit on his knee. I began chattering about my day, and he listened attentively. I felt important sitting there, knowing that I was an apprentice to such an exciting plan. My dad was oblivious to his two oldest daughters as they quietly set the rainbird in the living room, one room over.
Mentally I counted down the time until I would hear the sweet sound of the sprinkler. Suddenly there it was—but my dad didn’t notice for a fraction of a second, and by the time he frantically tossed me down and raced into the other room, he was just in time to see the sprinkler going around the room for the second time.
10 comments:
I just love you. You make me laugh and I really really hope you name the child Gibsmeralda. It's just stunning!!
happy 38 weeks my friend!! You are there!! Hard to believe the pregnancy is just about over! I'll be anxiously waiting for a text.
xox
I gotta say it is one of the classic moments in child raising. An extremely exciting adventure and I miss those moments very much. I would go back and actually have you all about three. or maybe 5 would be good. I can imagine with all those cute little brains what excitement we would have. AHHH.... old times.
That's awesome. You devious little gibsters. I just hope my children won't be quite so clever. But think what great team skills you girls built! haha
Fantastic story, fantastic memory, which I will tweak little. Actually, I think the truth is funnier. We just sat by the spigot and made you put the sprinkler in the house. All we did was turn on the water. I also doubt the hose was ever wound at our house, but that is extemely minor, and does make the action better to unwind it. I will never forget the steam coming out of dad's ears or the water dripping down the picture of the Ogden temple . . .
p.s. Did you really go in and talk to Dad beforehand? In my memory he was trying to study or rest or something and the first we saw of him was him storming out of his room. Can't say for sure about whether or not you went in there first.
Thanks for the corrections, Em. My three-year-old memory gets a little fuzzy sometimes. I am 99.9 percent sure that I went in to talk to Dad. I remember standing at the side of the bed and looking up at him--that's actually my clearest visual from the whole thing. You probably remember seeing him storm out because you guys were outside where it was a little safer. Good thing I was cute. Wasn't Dad so mad that he couldn't even say anything? I swear he just turned around and left the room.
That is a hilarious story and it makes me dread having the same thing happen to me with my kids. On one hand I can see it from a kids perspective "how fun!" and on the other hand my boring adult perspective...insert some expletive etc.
You are such a great writer...and I wish I had been your sister, sounds like you had some serious fun!
You're right, e didn't say anything at all, just went back in his room. He was obviously ANGRY, though. He told me later he left because he was afraid if he stayed he would beat us. Hee hee.
ROTF!! That's horrible! Wow, that pregnancy did go by fast! Good luck!
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