Supey Esta

We may have standards but that doesn't mean we always live up to them. We definitely set firm guidelines but that doesn't mean we won't willingly toss them out the window the minute we hit the highway with a car packed to the brim with stinky, smoky camping gear and two over tired girls. Hey, we didn't just fall off the turnip truck...we KNOW that if we don't re-think our lofty anti-TV/DVD/video ideas in time for the 4 hour drive home, we might as well drive our Subaru off the nearest cliff to spare us from all the whining, bickering, and crying we will be forced to endure. So, two minutes into our journey home from Cape Disappointment, we whipped out the portable DVD player and offered our girls their choice of Dora the Explorer shows to maintain sanity. Ours and theirs (but mostly ours).

Julia selected Dora's Super Silly Fiesta and Mimi happily concurred. 30 minutes later, when the girls wanted to watch the DVD again, we said, "Sure, No problem!" They could have watched that thing over and over again till we arrived back in Seattle for all we cared. Unfortunately there was a problem- the DVD player's battery ran out after only one viewing. We put the DVD player away and hoped to enjoy each other's company the rest of the trip. That lasted a minute.

"Supey Esta boken," Mimi exclaimed. Julia started to cry; the thought of her beloved DVD broken was too much for her. Through her tears she said, "It's not broken, Mimi. The battery just ran out."

Mimi immediately repeated, "Supey Esta boken."

"NO, MIMI! It's NOT broken!

"Supey Esta boken"

"IT'S NOT BROKEN!!" WHAAAAAH!

We tried to explain to Julia that Mimi, with her limited vocabulary, was using the only words that she knew to explain the situation. Of course, Super Silly Fiesta wasn't broken!

A moment later, "Supey Esta boken."

"WHAAAH! IT'S NOT BROKEN, MIMI!"

"No, Ju-ju, Supey Esta boken"

And so on. Mile after mile. Mimi would occasionally pause just long enough for Julia to begin to think that had won the battle. Then, turning with a smile and pouncing like a tiger on unsuspecting prey she'd blurt, "Supey Esta boken."

Eventually our efforts to solve the conflict became efforts to contain our giggles and keep from driving into oncoming traffic. Finally our fatigued minds began to work again- we plugged in a CD. That, of course, meant listening to Polly Wolly Doodle repeatedly until we got home, but it was much more peaceful for everyone than continuing the Supey Esta debate.

Somewhere, probably between the 25th and 30th repeat of Polly Wolly Doodle, my mind began to wander. I imagined one of those moments when someone asks, "Are your girls real sisters?"

"Supey Esta boken." Enough said.