C'mon!

Picture it:
If you have never been to our house, it's a 1 1/2 story expansion with the kitchen and living room at the front of the house, and the girls' bedroom, bathroom and playroom at the back. (The expansion upstairs is our bedroom, then the basement consists of a rec room on one side and laundry/storage area on the other.) There is a doorway leading from the playroom to the kitchen, the kitchen leads into the living room, the living room into the hallway which then leads back into the playroom. So one can run, walk, stroll or crawl in a big circle through our house. All of which we've been doing a lot of lately.

Now picture this:
Josie is pushing her doll stroller around and around and around the aforementioned circle through our house. She's not alone. She may be pushing a doll, or stuffed animal or potholder - whatever object she has determined most needed strolling at the moment. In line behind her is either Mom or Dad, or sometimes both Mom and Dad. Mom and/or Dad are not in line behind her by purely choice, but more by command. A command from an almost-2 year old that sounds like "C'MON!" and is accompanied by an emphatic hand-wave motioning you to follow her. And in line behind Mom and/or Dad is Brewster, who has also been commanded to "C'MON!" Brewster tends to fall out of line to sniff something, eat something or attempt to lay down, but is always busted and must fall back in line again in prompt fashion. And Mom and/or Dad are not in line just for their looks or to get some exercise, but to serve a very-needed purpose: to carry things for Her Majesty, Josie, that she may need to have while strolling. Like her sippy cup. And blankie. And Eve. And a tub toy she found along the way. And a magnet she found on the fridge as we passed by. And as we stroll around the house, we have to stop at the top of the basement steps (which are located by the doorway between the playroom and kitchen) and point down the stairs and say "Vacuum!" Every time we pass by. And then as we go into the kitchen we have to stop at the stove and say "Hot!" Every time we pass by. This procession can last for what seems like hours. Trust me - it seems like hours, but I'm sure it's more like 15-20 minutes. But when you're the one carrying a 16 lb. baby and all of Josie's stuff, it feels a lot longer. Thank goodness that the strolling usually is happening after we get home from work and are trying to make supper (which can be difficult when you get busted for falling out of line to stir something on the stove and are told to "C'MON!" and get back in line) so eventually there is the distraction of food to stop the line. Since it's dark out when we get home and we have to have the lights on, and our house is on a bit of a small hill and you can see into our kitchen quite easily from the street, I'm sure we must be quite the sight strolling around and around and around. Stop on by sometime and let me know how we look :)