I hope you have two just like you

Matt and Riley

Let me preface what I am gong to write next by stating that I love my children and grandchildren more than life itself. With that being said, there is some justice in the life of parents. Remember when you were a kid growing up and your parents would say things like, "just wait until you have kids of your own" or my favorite, "I hope you have two kids just like you some day."

Well, it came true. I had identical twin daughters when I turned 26. I got two just like me.

When my daughters were young they got their first bunk beds. They were so excited they could hardly sleep waiting for their "big kid beds" to arrive. The big box came and their dad and I unloaded it and began the task of assembling it. A day and many swear words later; their beds were ready, complete with new Strawberry Shortcake comforters and sheets.

We practiced climbing the ladder and keeping the child guard up. We even took turns in the top bunk. It didn't take long for them to be comfortable in their new beds especially with all their stuffed animals tucked around them.

We lived in Florida at the time and had ceiling fans in all the rooms of our house.

I waked into their bedroom to check on them one evening and found stuffed animals all over the room. They were on the dresser, the floor, the chair and in odd spots like the windowsill.

"Hmm, that's funny," I thought to myself. How did they throw those all over the place? I picked them up and tucked them back into bed with the girls.

This scenario went on for several days. I was confused and when I asked my daughters about it, they would giggle and say, "They can fly mommy."

I finally wised up and went in earlier to check on them. You know what's coming. One of them was on the top bunk loading animals onto the fan blades. The other was standing by the on and off button on the wall.

I gasped in fear that the one on the top of the bed would get hit by the fan blades. I sat them down and gave them a long talk. They assured me they wouldn't put any more stuffed animals on the fan blades. I kissed them and tucked them in again.

The next night after they had been put to bed I heard a thumping sound coming from their room. I ran to see what was causing the noise. One of them was hanging on the fan blades with her legs thumping against the safety rail of the bed. I got there just before the other one turned the on switch.

I grabbed her hand away from the switch and then grabbed the one hanging from the fan. My heart was pounding, my head spinning. I held them close for a minute and then I let them have it.

They slept on the couch that night while we took the bunk beds apart and disabled the ceiling fan.

Years later we would tell the story and laugh. "But mom, you said we couldn't put our stuffed animals on it. You didn't say anything about us being on it," they would chortle.

We started talking about the time my daughter had a fit in the grocery store and wouldn't stop crying. I picked her up to take her out of the store because that was what I said I would do if she wouldn't behave. Of course we were at the back of the store.

As I wound my way to the front of the store and out the door she continued to cry and added a scream. "Help me, help me somebody help me," she hollered over and over. I was so embarrassed and so mad at her that by the time I got her to the car, I had to put her inside and stand outside for a few moments to cool down.

Later, we could laugh about the episode. When she got older, she thought it was hilarious.

Last week she called me very upset because our darling granddaughter had thrown a fit in the store and refused to stop screaming. So, mom had to carry her out of the store while she screamed, "No, no, no, don't take me" all the way to the car.

My daughter was mortified. "Mom, people looked at me like I was abducting her. It was awful."

I snickered, I couldn't help it. "Mom, it's not funny," she said.

"It will be later," I said. Then I giggled again. "Remember, the help me, help me episode you always thought was so funny.

"Oh mom," she said with disdain. Then she started to giggle.

Today, my daughter called me. Apparently they have had to take down the ceiling fan in the kids' bedroom. It seems my two darling grandchildren got caught loading stuffed animals on the blades of the fan to see if they could fly.

"Oh honey. I'm sorry to hear that," I said with a little snicker. And, I laughed out loud a few minutes later when I heard her say to her kids. "When you grow up, I hope you have two kids just like you."

Maybe there is justice for parents after all. Snicker.