The one where I had to tell them to put their clothes back on
Our younger daughters had a friend over last night for a sleepover. A boy. Which was fine. Right up to the point where I discovered a scene straight out of Lord of the Flies.
The evening was going so well – they ran around the house like lunatics, and eventually fell into the sofa bed with “The Hobbit” playing, and a bowl of popcorn each. I sat in the other room with our eldest daughter watching “Batman Begins” (she had asked if she could have a movie night with me, given that they were all having a movie night).
I'm sure they started outwatching their movie – but as time went on we heard telltale thumps, bumps, bangs, crashes, and explosive laughter. While getting up to make a drink, I checked on them.
It would appear that pogo-ing around the sofa bed like a cross between a jack-in-the-box and a jumping bean on acid had raised the temperature in the room considerably. I discovered all the children in various states of undress.
I directed my ire at our youngest;
“Dressed. Now.”
“But I'm too hot
After finishing shaking my head, and re-telling the events to my other half when she appeared an hour later, I realised how lucky we are. Our children are completely innocent – naive of the influences that seemingly surround them. While the pop stars they listen to hop in and out of bed with one another, and magazine covers play dangerous games with “all grown up” photo shoots, our children still run riot with partial or no clothes on if given half the chance, and think nothing of it. Clothes are a hindrance that get in the way of water slides on summer afternoons.
Given another year, these moments of innocent youth will be a bittersweet memory.