"Has anyone seen my coffee?" Olivia found it two days later, on her dresser behind a pile of clean laundry. She thoughtfully picked it up and carried it all the way downstairs for me. It started out full, but was nearly empty by the time she got to the kitchen. So I broke out the carpet shampooer I bought in November but haven't used yet. Because that's the kind of housekeeper I am. I like the idea of a clean house more than I like cleaning said house. And what do you know, it actually worked pretty well, not just on the coffee drips, but also on older, more ominous stains as well. Like the time Seamus peed in the hall. Or the time he peed on the stairs. Or the time he peed in the tv room. Or the time Henry found my old coffee on his dresser and thoughtfully carried it downstairs for me. Anyway, I'm slaving away shampooing the carpets upstairs and I hear the tv go on downstairs. Normally, the girls don't watch tv during the day unless I have a migraine or need to make dinner fast, without "help". Since I was preoccupied with shampooing, I decided to ignore it. I got downstairs about half an hour later. The girls are sitting on the couch, transfixed, each munching away on a bag of goldfish they had helped themselves to. They were watching "Days of Our Lives". Soaps have never been on in this house, except for the summer after Jack was born and nursed constantly and we didn't have cable, but that was nearly 11 years ago.

Me: "What are you two doing?"

Grace: "Watching this show. Sammi and Lucas got married!"

Olivia: "And Stefano Demira is back!"

Me: "I'm sorry, but you girls aren't allowed to watch this. It's not a kids' show."

I turn it off and they start sobbing like I shot their puppy or something.

Olivia: "(sob) But I loved that show!"

Grace: "This is the best show! It's better than Dragon Tales and Angelina Ballerina!"

I get them calmed down and sent off to do some painting, go upstairs to get the carpet cleaner, and turn on the tv in my room. Stefano Demira is back? This I gotta see...