trouble

Six years ago Lula was four and we moved in next to Lola, also four. Lula and Lola are blond balls of energy, and when they get together, watch out! On Friday night, they babysat for us between the hours of 5.30 and 7.00, and here's what they accomplished during that time:

*Made vegetable noodle soup from scratch for the babies
*Set out two bowls and one pan of red jello in the snow to cool (we now have what looks like big bright drops of blood on the snow outside our front door.)
*Built a fort in Momo's room out of a mattress ( the roof) and three large rubbermaid bins, blankets, the humidifier, and every container in the region that could be emptied
*Planned a Valentine's party for Friday night called "The Heart Ball"
*Made hand-made invites for "The Heart Ball"
*Planned the menu for "The Heart Ball" (cookies, soda, pasta bar, soup bar, donuts--perfect!)
*Drew a blue print of our house with each room designated "game room", "dance palace", "movie room", "hang out corner", etc. Apparently we have to move out during the party.

Other favorite activities include brewing every kind of concoction imaginable from the kitchen: lotions, facial masks, perfumes, teas, hot chocolates, soups--if it's wet and messy and they can stow it under the bed or in a shrub where I'll find it a year later, it has their stamp on it. They also like to make cookies and art and sell door to door, sell lemonade, have parties at the Kozy Shack in Lola's grandma's back yard, make "Box Town," a movable city made of boxes on a longboard and a wagon, or anything that involves all of the towels and bedding in our house.

Wherever these girls go, they leave a trail of fun and chaos. It's frightening to think of what the next five years will bring.