I had big plans Friday night. With James on a kayaking trip I decided to pick up a "chick flick," get the boys down at a reasonable hour, make one of my favorite pasta dishes, and settle in for a movie, ignoring the messy house and mounds of laundry. Just me and my favorite quilt, with the cool air flowing through the house, jammies on with face scrubbed and tingling from moisturizer. And that's what I did. After serving myself an oversized bowl of pasta, I dimmed the lights, sunk into the couch, and with remote in hand started my movie. Ahh, it was nice.

After say. . . 20 minutes, I hear Luke open his door. Seriously?

"Whatchya doin Luke?"

"I have to go to the bathroom."

The light goes on upstairs but the bathroom door remains open. (this, by the way, is something we have been working on. Shutting the door while in the loo. For some reason, Luke just can't bring himself to do this. I think it is his incessant need to talk, even while on the toilet.) The chatter begins. I pause my movie.

"Mom, I am having problems with my stinky."

"Oh yeah? Everything okay?"

"Well, I feel it in my system but things aren't working right."

I will spare you the rest. . . and then. . .

"I really thought that by the time I had problems like this my feet would at least touch the floor when I'm on the toilet."

Hmmm, pensive and chatty. And with that Luke made his way back to his room. I hear the door shut behind him followed by a dialogue of sorts between he and Wil and I resume my movie. Then. . . the door opens again.

"Whatchya doin' Luke?" pausing my movie again.

"I have to get this banana peel out of here, it stinks."

Back in the room he goes. And, again, I return to my movie. Then, you guessed it, his door opens.

"Luuuke?"

"Mom, it still smells in here. I think it is Wil." pausing again and throwing my quilt off I run upstairs.

I flip on the light in their room and there is Wil, all smiles in his crib, standing with shirt off (as usual) with "stinky" everywhere. I believe it's called a "blow out." :) I send Luke to the bathroom to run a bath while I dash out to get some wipes and a washcloth. After getting Wil stripped down and wiped down I deposit him in the tub. Luke stays with him while I go strip his bed, wipe down and disinfect the crib spindles, rails, and walls, remake his bed and start a load of laundry.

After getting Wil back in some pj's and the boys back in bed Luke says, "wow, this night has been a stinky mess hasn't it?!"

"You can say that again, Luke!"

And then, "hey mom, maybe next week in my LifeSkills folder you can write this down and tell Mrs. Mattox that I practiced the life skill of cooperation by helping you out."

"Maybe so. Sweet dreams boys."

And then all was quiet and I finished my movie with no more interruptions. Except my own occasional chuckle over the realities of motherhood.