Warm weather, cool water and wet butts

Today was one of discoveries. I discovered little girls aren't much interested in planting flowers, however much they beg and plead to go outside and take part; and the girls discovered mom will let them strip down buck naked and act like crazy monkeys under the sun.

Mistakenly I thought planting annuals in the backyard would prove entertaing for Alena, Alivia and I this afternoon while the twins were napping. Alena just had to have the "pink flowers" and Alivia had a container of purple petunias. We set out to plant, hand-held shovels in tow. I began digging holes and removing the flowers from their containers, handing them to the girls to put in the holes I had made.

Alena complained she was getting messy and Alivia was more interested in filling her pockets with dirt (learning yesterday that she had no problem filling her mouth with dirt as well, I was more than pleased that it was just her pockets today). Okay ... mom planted the flowers.

Next, I said, let's water them. So we take off to the spigot to fill our watering cans. I soon found out we should have just skipped the planting and gotten right to the watering.

Amazed at this water flowing free from the side of the house, they began taking drinks from it. Innocent enough, I stood back letting them take turns. As they discovered drinking from this new fountain was okay, Alena stuck her foot into the stream. Cold, it must have felt good, so the other one went in. Liv followed, getting her shorts wet with her attempt.

Since neither one was being particularly careful, soon each was soaked from head to toe (note: shoes had been removed by now and serious efforts had been made to drink from them). For a short time, this state of wet chaos was enough. They laughed, sharing cool drinks and rinsing their little feet.

"Mom," Alena called out, "I need to take my shorts off. They're wet." Before I had a chance to respond, down came the shorts. "You have to keep your panties on," I said. Following suit, Liv's shorts made their descent. Apparently water is even more fun when you've lost your pants, so the frolicking continued. Next came the shirts ... thrown to the side in the ever-growing scene of cast-off clothes.

The watering cans actually got used at this point, as Alena decided to "water" Alivia's shorts that she had long since forgotten. Watering clothes must simply be more fun than watering flowers, if for no other reason than novelty.

Only moments passed before panties were being rinsed in the stream of water and Liv's diaper was flying through the air. The sight was innocence in its purest state. Free and alive they were (naked as jay birds, too), dancing in their birthday suits under the afternoon's bright sun. Uninhibited and carefree, they were a testament to what growing older (and wiser?) robs from you.