Growing up Austin

I am grateful for this post, just as I am all of my lovely guests!! Thanks so much.

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Dear Mr./Ms. Scientist Who Developed Pretend Wood Floors,

Thank You.

You are a genius.

You must have kids.

You see, I have a parent’s internal timer that lets me know when my kids have been quiet too long. There is a natural tension about it, of coarse, because the quiet is so sweet and so precious and I don’t want it to end. So maybe I was being too hopeful or in denial, because the other day the sweet and precious quiet was a cover for my two and three-year-old girls being under the office desk writing with permanent marker on the pretend hard wood floors.

Doesn’t that dark, thick, black ink show up well on the light floor?

Oh, my.

I want to patent the phrase “Only On Paper” and sell t-shirts.

I want to build a row of drawers with locks about chest high all over the house.

But, I took some every day cleaner and a paper towel and could hardly believe my eyes…

Well, either the Mr./Ms. Scientist Who Developed Pretend Wood Floors is a genius or the Mr./Ms. Scientist who Developed the Permanent Marker has been slacking off lately, but either way it turned out all right for me. And, for the smarty-pants who might remember my story about the toothpaste facials from not too long ago, which also happened on my watch, all I can say is that I do the best I can.

Sometimes with a little help from Mr./Ms. Scientist.

 
Carol Ramsey lives in Austin, Texas, is married and has three girls, fourteen, three and two-years old. She is a software project manager and writes at GrowingUpAustin.com and LittleKidsHike.com.