Becca Plays Hide and Seek*

*Or, How Joel Lost the Kids

So, we're leaving for Virginia Beach later this afternoon, and I've been running around trying to get everyone packed. Ben and Becca were sitting on the floor in the master bedroom playing with a ball popper toy. Joel was in there also, starting to pack his half of our suitcase. I said to Joel, "Can you watch the kids for a few minutes? I need to go finish packing their suitcase."

"Sure," he said. I went upstairs for a few minutes, stopped back into the bedroom to grab the baby monitor to pack (everyone still where I'd left them) and then went into the kitchen to pack up a few more things.

So probably 15 minutes after I'd asked Joel to watch the kids, I headed back into the master bedroom. It was empty. (the rest of the downstairs, having passed it on the way to the bedroom, was also empty). I barged into the master bathroom, and find Joel in the shower. No kids anywhere in evidence.

"Where the [expletive] are the kids?" I yelled.

"What? I thought you had them!"

"I told you to watch them! I have no idea where they are!" Joel was out of the shower by this point and we headed back into the bedroom. Almost immediately I noticed that the closet door was shut, and when I tried to open it, I heard Ben giggle.

"Ben! Is the baby in there with you?"

"Yes," he giggled.

"Open the door!" (I was angry -- mostly at Joel -- but trying not to laugh at that point).

"I can't! She's sitting in front of it," he answers.

"You can't blog about this!" Joel said, as I forced the door open and retrieved Becca from her first game of hide and seek.