What a Mess!

My car has both of our daughters' car seats installed.  Whenever we go anywhere as a family, we use my car and I always drive my car whether I have the girls or not.

The other week my husband wanted to make a Dunkin Donuts run.  I didn't want to go along since I had laundry and a bunch of other never ending chores to do.  Going along for a ride held no appeal.  Of course, I probably could have caught another 15 minutes of sleep, which I will not usually pass up.  But it was almost our 5 month old's feeding time and mommy has to be around for that since she does not take a bottle, at least not without a lot of tears.  And screaming.  Did I mention the quivering lip that makes my heart bleed? 

I did suggest, rather nicely, that he could take our two year old with him for company. She loves nothing more than pointing out all the landmarks.  "Look, library...look light,  Christmas tree house (don't quite know where she got that one)..snow...Daddy...donuts, Daddy...coffee". My husband was shocked she recognized Dunkin Donuts on one of our excursions. Until I pointed out, a trip through the drive-thru has become a weekend ritual since our second munchkin was born. We usually stop on our way to somewhere.

He came breezing through the door about 20 minutes later exclaiming, "Emily tell your mommy what you told me!"

My darling looked up at me with big eyes, "mommy's car a mess".  To punctuate this, she holds her arms up and squels, "what a mess."

I look at my husband accusingly, "you taught her that!"

"No I did not," he replies.

"Uh-huh".

"Really, I didn't.  She said it when I was buckling her into her car sear.  This is your fault." He starts to eat his bagel grinning at me.  "Your the one always saying, 'what a mess' when she happens to throw the remnants of her breakfast on the floor or when she knocks over her milk or when she overturns the cats water dish. Don't blame me."

You know, I think he's telling the truth.  I do say that to her.  A lot.  If we don't take her food away as soon as she is done eating, it may become a flying projectile or food for the cat, except our cat doesn't eat people food.  Ever.  I walk out to my car to survey the "mess".  Yep, my daughter is right.  It's a mess. A huge mess.  It's just that with a toddler and an infant just getting them into a house can be an ordeal.  I have a tendency to leave all the baby paraphernalia in the car.  It doesn't help that I suffer from, "I'll do it tomorrow syndrome".

My daughter's purse that usually contains her Barbie mirror, ring, and notepad  lies empty on the back seat between the two car seats.  Its contents lying on the floor amidst the goldfish crackers and cheerios that were a snack at some point.  An empty sippy cup is also on the floor, probably thrown there after my daughter emptied it.  A scarf, two hats, and a pair of sunglasses are also on the seat under the bjorn baby carrier that has been in the car since we went hunting for pumpkins in October.  The overstuffed diaper bag was open and overflowing on the floor, a spit up cloth and a recieving blanket hanging over the side.  Diapers jammed in the top.  A stuffed bear also had found his way to the floor. Underneath the diaper bag lay a file folder stuffed with papers. 

Needless to say, my daughter learning to say, "what a mess" propelled me to action.  My backseat was cleaned out within minutes.  Really, it was only partly my mess.  Let's give credit where credit was due.  Vacumming would have to wait though until it was no longer in the single digits outside.  I wasn't that motivated.  I went back inside and told my daughter and my husband, who were enjoying their doughnuts, that "Mommy had cleaned up her mess".