Tub to flub

Zoe normally takes showers these days, but right about the time I was ready to give Jacob a bath in the kitchen sink, just as I gathered him up and was standing before my kitchen sink, all full of dishes, and thinking this would make a good comic strip, me standing here all stoic before this unclean vessel while wondering if I should just wipe him all down with baby wipes, Zoe was in the background whining, "Mommmmmy, pleeeeeeease can I take a bath???"

A little light bulb went off over my head.


I've never seen two children have so much fun. It was like I wasn't in the room, and they splashed and played, and any concerns I had before dipping Jacob in the tub -- with Zoe -- and what might manifest -- melted away quickly. I didn't care that all the water coming out of tub was dripping into my basement. The way they enjoyed this first of siblingness was so very pure and innocent.

After about 10 minutes of all this love and joy, there was a crisis. All of a sudden, Zoe screeched, "MOOOOOOOMMMMMMMY! He's POOOOOOOOOOOPPPPING!!!!"

And the chaos that followed will probably wipe out the few moments I had there of validation that I was doing all this raising kids stuff right.