When Claudia gets the house to herself

My daughter has a new sleeping bag with her name on it. She's been dying to go to someone's house for a sleepover. I've been hesitant to encourage it because we tried it last summer and she got nervous and came home before bedtime. However, she assured me that she was ready. So, I posted on Facebook that the kid was ready for a sleepover if anyone wanted to invite her. I'm friends with some of her friends' moms on Facebook. She quickly got an offer and accepted it just as quickly.  The plan was set for a sleepover on Saturday night.

Before dropping her off for the sleepover, I took her rollerskating at the local skating rink. On the way home, we had a talk about manners.  I reminded her to be polite when she is a guest in someone's home. "What do you say when someone offers you some food that you don't want?" I asked her.

"No, thank you!" she said proudly.

"Great! Just make sure you don't say, 'Oh, that's disgusting.'"  (She once did this, which is why I knew bringing it up was valid.)

She thought for a few moments. "Can I still think it in my head even if I don't say it? Like, I can think 'oh, that's disgusting' but not say it?"

I was stumped for a moment. "Sure, I guess so," I said. I mean, what do you say to that?

I dropped her off at her friend's house about an hour later and kept my fingers crossed that she would stay through the night. As for me, I was pretty giddy about getting the house to myself. P had to work so it was just me and my doggies.

Here are the various activities that comprised my evening:

1. Fed the dogs.
2. Lit some candles and plugged in my bowl o' rocks. 
3. Let the dogs in and out in various combinations. Asked them why they can't coordinate it so that they all go in/out at once instead of me opening/closing the door three separate times. 
4. Noticed that Gideon's ears were gunky. Cleaned them out with a series of Q-tips and then squirted some gunk in there. He was less than thrilled.
5. Attempted to clip Gretchen's toenails. She was not down with it. I'll probably have to have P hold her while I make my next attempt.
6. Watched part of "The Biggest Loser." Tried to decide whether I like Jillian or hate her.
7. Sorted my nail polish drawer. Tossed out the bottles I've had since Clinton was in office.
8. Soaked my feet in a bubbling foot bath. However, don't tell my daughter because she gets really pissy if I do this without her. 
9. Slathered my face with a couple of facial peel-off and mud masks. Fervently hoped I wouldn't get a call that I had to pick up my daughter from the sleepover prematurely - driving around the neighborhood with a green clay mask on my face seemed like it would be traumatic for all involved.
10. Drank some blackberry merlot. 
11. Watched "The Incredible Dr. Pol."
12. Watched "Pit Bulls and Parolees." 
13. Played Words with Friends. Lost three games in a row.

I hadn't gotten much sleep the night before so I was asleep by 11:30 or so on Saturday. This morning I got up and headed to church. It was very strange not to have to yell, "BRUSH YOUR TEETH WE ARE LEAVING NOW!" a dozen times or more.

I have a small confession, though, which is that I started to miss the little sassbucket this morning. We always go to church together. She goes around and greets all the kids and then hugs her favorite grown-ups. It occurred to me that maybe I should fill in for her, but it might have been a little awkward for me to fling myself at the mid-section of my fellow congregants.

Anyway, she is home now and I'm guessing she didn't get a ton of sleep last night. Things could get ugly later this evening. But, c'est la vie. Here's to successful sleepovers!

Gretchen Scissorpaws

There is a very slight possibility that I used too much soap in the foot bath