Saturday night, and we are in a hurry, because it is time to go to Mike's for dinner and we are a little late.
Mommy is annoyed with us, because she hates being late, and we all try our best to get the kids dressed, pack their dinners (especially Faith's GFCF meal), and prepare the Baby Bag.
The Baby Bag, as most parents of young children know, consists of extra clothes, diapers, wipes, bibs, hankies, Isaac's toys and pacifer, and an empty packet of Pigeon baby wipes. All the things you take along when you have a 16-month-old boy, and an almost four-year-old autistic girl whose senses crave crinkly things like an empty packet of Pigeon baby wipes.
Mommy is getting dressed while I am keeping an eye on Isaac, who is already dressed in a white shirt and beige shorts. I am on baby Guard Duty, watching the playful boy, after dressing Faith in a nice halter neck dress with flowers on it, because another outfit mommy picked out was too big for her.
Celia is rushing around packing the bag, preparing the food, and getting dressed herself.
"Where is Faith?" I say, after realising she is not with Isaac and me in the living room. I proceed to check the study and the two bedrooms...
"Is she with you, Celia?" I ask. The maid says no.
I go to the kitchen to see if Faith is there. Nada.
I start to have a minor panic attack. I go to the kitchen toilet next, because Faith likes to splash the water in the bowl. I can see the bowl, and no Faith playing there, to my relief.
I am puzzled, where could she be?
Then, as I am about to try the other room toilet, I hear a splashing sound from the left of the kitchen toilet door, where the shower and pails are located.
I stick my head through the door to look inside the rest of the loo, and sitting in a red pail of water, is my Faith, enjoying a swim in her halter-neck dress, completely drenched.
I laugh, relieved that nothing untoward happened, and run for my camera. Faith hides her head playfully, after I take the first shot, like she is hiding from me. And then pops her head up again, with a grin.
"Quick, ' I tell Celia, "change her into something else, before mommy finds out and we all get a scolding."
But it is hard to hide the fact that Faith hair is wet, and wearing something different from her original outfit, so we get a lecture from mommy for not keeping an eye on her and for leaving half a pail of water in the loo.
