Awful Good Parenting

Background: It was Saturday.  Ted had been awake very early due to a back strain he suffered while shoveling water from the back walkway, and Julie had also lost sleep all week due to a sinus infection. They also had plans to go out to dinner that night with friends. So when family quiet time rolled around Julie was quick to claim the sofa as her napping spot, and Ted headed upstairs to the big bed.  Joe was reminded that it was quiet time and he needed to do his own activities because everyone else was taking a nap.  When we left him, he was drawing a picture at the dining room table and had plans to set the iPad up to watch the Cars 2 movie.

Ted, upon being woken by Joe at 2:30pm: Joe asked Ted if it was time for Clara to get up.  Ted looked at the clock and seeing it wasn't quite three when Clara would ordinarily wake up, said, "No, Joe.  Not yet."  Then, Ted rolled back over and fell back asleep.

Julie, upon waking up at around 4:15pm from a deep sleep:  She saw that the door to the bambini's room was open and Clara was out of her bed.  But the house was quiet, so she figured that the bambini must be upstairs with Ted or that they'd all ducked out for a walk.  (It was, after all, almost spring like outside that afternoon.)  She needed to run to the tailor to pick up some pants she planned to wear that very night before the tailor closed.  She gathered her stuff and walked out the front door to the car which was in the front of the house by the curb.  Before driving off she sent Ted a text letting him know she would be back soon.

Ted, upon waking up at around 4:20pm from a deep sleep:  The house was quiet and he headed downstairs.  From the upstairs window he saw the kids outside playing in the sandbox which was, just that day, finally accessible because enough of the winter's snow had melted.  Outdoor toys were scattered across the yard.  He figured Julie took the kids outside to play.  He walked to the kitchen and deduced from the stems littered across the counter top that Joe had been eating the strawberries from the container there.  He went to the back door, slipped on his shoes to walk outside when he glanced at his phone and saw the text (4:17pm) from Julie: "Going to pick up my pants. Babysitter comes at 6:30." Still in a stupor he went outside and said hi to the bambini, who were in snow pants, snow boots, winter coats, hats and gloves in almost 50-degree weather.  Ted and bambini bantered idly back and forth, but Ted was slowly, but slowly, starting to put the pieces together.  The largest piece being: the kids were out here alone.  At first he wondered if Julie decided to leave the bambini unsupervised so she could run to the tailor, but that didn't seem right.  So he calmly told them that they should go inside for snack, which the bambini were happy to do.  They were stripped of their muddy, sandy winter gear all the way to underwear and escorted inside.

Julie, upon arriving home from the tailor at about 4:45pm:  She parked in the back and saw the pile of gear and clothes at the back door.  She let herself in and was soon in the kitchen cleaning some dishes at the sink when Ted strolled by and asked extremely casually, "So. . .did you let the kids outside?"  Julie said, "No."  And then it all finally clicked.

And so we are left to wonder: are we awful parents?  Falling asleep while our almost-five year old had free range of the house with unlocked doors?  So long that the almost-five year old was them joined by his almost-three year old sister?  Perhaps, Fans, perhaps.

But, we are also, frankly, rather proud parents.  As best we can figure, Joe whiled away his time with activities for two hours, then checked on Birdie and finding her awake, suggested they play together outside.  They knew to put on all their winter gear (two feet from Julie's head, mind you).  Joe must have gotten Clara zipped up.  Then, they headed outside, went into the garage and pulled out the usual toys, before realizing they could get at the sandbox, which they then did.

Possibly irresponsible parents terribly proud of their impossibly responsible children.

The scene when Ted walked outside at 4:20pm.  Looks innocent enough, right?