The Bath.

There are things in life that are optional. Others are not. The bath, for instance. In a house with four kids under 9, baths are a frequent necessity.

I had a brief meeting Sunday evening. John was fending for himself with the kids after dinner for an hour. He is so kind and helpful, that he started cleaning up the kitchen for me. Apparently, no more than a couple minutes into cleaning he noticed how quiet the house was. I call that the 'child-induced eerie silence'. It's rarely a good thing. He ventured out to the porch to find Ellie and Bo playing in the charcoal ashes from the kettle grill. They had taken the lid and grate off and were having a party. Yes, a bath was a necessity.

Drew (our oldest) started football practice yesterday and I thought it would be a fine idea to bring the other kids and let them run around and play during the practice. Never trust my fine ideas... Besides giving all the other parents heart attacks by jumping up and down the bleachers, Ellie decided to jump off the side. Then she hit the concrete - with her knee and chin. Halfway through practice, we have a dirty mess that is now bleeding as well. Yes, a bath was a necessity.

I decided to have a moment to myself and take a bubble bath when John was home. What a treat. I relaxed and it was so nice to have no disturbances for that moment. Yes, at that moment, the bath was a necessity. When I got out of the tub, the questions began. I don't just take a bath like that in the middle of the day. Bo was confused. His face showed the confusion and he asked, "Did you play with my toys?"

All in all, you have to love a bath. All in all, anything that makes children clean is a good thing. I'm glad I took time for myself too... Even if I didn't play with Bo's toys.