House sitters

While we were away we had some house sitters. Friends of friends, this family was from New Jersey, in town for the holidays to visit family here. We communicated via email several times and despite the fact that we had no adult bedroom to offer them, they were happy to stay here, take in our mail, and take care of Zeke and Rainbow.

With three exceptions, there was no evidence they were here.

1.) They cleaned the place before both of our arrivals such that it was cleaner than when we left it. (When we were home for the 25th and 26th, they stayed with friends.)

2.) They left us a note and x-mas presents including candy, cookies and other delicious items. They also brought in the presents for the kids so they would be under the tree when we arrived home on Christmas day.

3.) Today, just a few minutes ago, Elizabeth came downstairs screaming and crying. She said she had something yucky in her mouth. I asked what she ate and she said she forgot. I asked again, and she said she didn't know. Her mouth was red and she was hysterical. I rushed her to the bathroom to rinse it out and again asked her to show me what she ate. She led me to the stairs where there was the outside of a large red pill. Great. I thought I would have to call Michael who was in a movie (I saw one earlier) to tell him we were rushing to the emergency room. I asked her if she swallowed it. She said no. I asked her again, she said, she "accidentally did". Fuck.

I went to my computer to find the phone number of the people who stayed here. While Elizabeth was still rinsing her mouth out, I called. Luckily she picked up. I said a couple pleasant greetings and then launched into my questions about the pill (that Miranda had told me Elizabeth found behind the chair right where we had set up the bed from the back house in the girls room.) Christin, the mom, told me it was a prenatal vitamin, apologized profusely, and then we said our goodbyes.

I told Elizabeth that she was ok, wouldn't have to go to the emergency room, and gave her a candy cane to suck on to get rid of the yucky taste (they *the prenatal vitamins, not the candy canes* ARE disgusting!). I also reminded her that we don't eat things we find on the ground even if the ground is in our own room. I think (I hope) it was a lesson learned the hard way.