Potatoes In The Skillet Drawer?
It all started after a recent visit by our grandchildren. Nothing brings me more joy than seeing cousin bonds develop. But make no mistake, when all 10 little ones, ages 8 and under are together, it’s crazy town. In the wake of such visits, my husband and I begin the journey of putting the house back together and restoring some sort of order. Then, we usually plop on the couch ready for some much needed veg time. However, in the aftermath of this particular visit there was one problem. We couldn’t find the TV remote control.
A missing remote is not unusual. I think we can all relate. Just look underneath the couch cushions, right? In this case, I was acutely suspicious of a cute little pair of boys, age 2 and almost 2, who when together are masters at combining stealth mischievousness with outright playful disaster. I mean, audible crashes followed by “uh oh’s” usually has someone running and yelling, “Archie and Joseph, what are you doing?” Imagine two little boys squealing with giggles as they escape from the scene of their disarray to hide behind the couch in loyal solidarity. They are becoming a force of their own. I don’t even want to think about Archie and Joseph together in 10 or 15 years. It’s a good thing I’m just a grandmother.
In trying to relocate the remote, I tried to put myself into the mind of these little guys and think of the random places they may have thought to leave a remote control. The search led me on a scavenger hunt of epic proportions. I knew we had some household repositioning to do when I found potatoes in the skillet drawer. I don’t usually put potatoes in the skillet drawer, but there they were, evidence of some circa two-year-old shenanigans.
While spinning the lazy susan condiment cabinet looking for balsamic vinegar, there was a miniature Paw Patrol pup just waiting to be rescued right there between the large can of diced tomatoes and unopened Montgomery Inn Barbeque Sauce. Perhaps my greatest find was my lost under-eye concealer located just inside the cabinet door of the family room console beneath the tv with the missing remote. I had been looking for that concealer for days. I mean who wants to walk around in public with non-concealed dark rings under the eyes? Yet, when I found a set of match box cars in my shower, I had a pretty good guess regarding the perpetrators of the missing makeup.
A lost shoe was found in the toy basket with Duplo blocks which led me to wonder how no one noticed the one-shoe-on-and-one-shoe-off situation as the kids all left. And did I mention the fort made out of blankets and pillows with empty snack wrappers behind the piano in the living room? Like I said, it’s crazy town. I promise, these kids were not home alone.
I never did find the remote. Thank goodness there is such a thing as one click shopping. Given the fact that my order actually arrived the same day told me the gods of one-click shopping had lots of remotes on hand for those (like us) who find themselves suddenly remote-less. What I did rediscover, however was the ongoing joy and chaotic fun of having grandchildren that transcend organization. We may be headed into a bit of January ordinary time, but the Archie and Joseph duo of unpredictability will keep me on my toes. I mean, who needs mundane and routine in the world of properly placed TV remote controls when you could can have potatoes end up with the skillets.